(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on January 31.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads during the week ended January 26 was off in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Carload freight totaled 313,037, down 2.3 percent from last year. Volume was up 1.2 percent in the West but down 6.9 percent in the East, which experienced severe winter storms.
Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 210,123 trailers or containers, down 8.3 percent from a year ago. Container volume fell 8.5 percent while trailer volume was off 7.8 percent.
Total volume was estimated at 32.4 billion ton-miles, down 1.2 percent from the fourth week of 2007.
Seven of 19 individual carload commodities showed gains from last year, with farm products other than grain up 35.4 percent; grain up 22.6 percent; and nonmetallic minerals up 5.8 percent. Sharp declines were reported in loadings of coke, 36.8 percent; lumber and wood products, 22.3 percent; and primary forest products, 19.9 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first four weeks of 2008 totaled 1,246,630 carloads, up 0.9 percent from 2007; 842,973 trailers or containers, down 4.2 percent; and total volume of an estimated 128.5 billion ton-miles, up 1.8 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended January 26 carload traffic totaled 74,367 cars, down 7.5 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 47,072 trailers or containers, up 7.2 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first four weeks of 2008 on the Canadian railroads totaled 291,487 carloads, down 1.1 percent from last year, and 181,896 trailers and containers, an increase of 11.0 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first four weeks of 2008 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 1,538,117 carloads, up 0.5 percent from last year, and 1,024,869 trailers and containers, a 1.8 percent decrease from last year.
The AAR also reported that carload freight on the Mexican railroad Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) during the week ended January 26 totaled 11,155 cars, up 2.0 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 5,040 trailers or containers, up 10.0 percent from the fourth week of 2007.
For the first four weeks of 2008, KCSM reported cumulative volume of 38,630 cars, up 0.8 percent from last year, and 16,713 trailers or containers, up 10.3 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.