(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on September 13.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was off slightly during the week ended September 8 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today. Both this year’s week and last year’s comparison week included the Labor Day holiday.
Total volume was estimated at 33.3 billion ton-miles, down 0.3 percent from the comparable week last year.
Intermodal volume totaled 207,911 trailers or containers, down 3.6 percent from last year, with container volume off 2.0 from last year and trailer volume down 9.1 percent.
Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 317,313 cars for the week, down 1.6 percent from last year. Compared with last year, loadings were up 0.5 percent in the West but down 4.5 percent in the East.
Cumulative volume for the first 36 weeks of 2007 totaled 11,684,906 carloads, down 3.5 percent from 2006; 8,269,266 trailers or containers, off 1.9 percent; and total volume of an estimated 1.20 trillion ton-miles, down 2.0 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended September 8 carload traffic totaled 74,012 cars, down 4.5 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 45,088 trailers or containers, up 6.2 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 36 weeks of 2007 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,793,265 carloads, down 1.0 percent from last year, and 1,658,612 trailers and containers, up 2.8 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 36 weeks of 2007 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 14,478,171 carloads, down 3.0 percent from last year, and 9,927,878 trailers and containers, down 1.2 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that carload freight on the Mexican railroad Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) during the week ended September 8 totaled 11,297 cars, down 9.0 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 5,142 trailers or containers, up 3.5 percent from the 36th week of 2006.
For the first 36 weeks of 2007, KCSM reported cumulative volume of 390,618 cars, down 3.9 percent from last year, and 161,548 trailers or containers, up 14.0 percent.
Railroads reporting to AAR account for 89 percent of U.S. carload freight and 98 percent of rail intermodal volume. When the U.S. operations of Canadian railroads are included, the figures increase to 96 percent and 100 percent. The Canadian railroads reporting to the AAR account for 91 percent of Canadian rail traffic. Railroads provide more than 40 percent of U.S. intercity freight transportation, more than any other mode, and rail traffic figures are regarded as an important economic indicator.