(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on March 23.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was off during the week ended March 17 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal volume totaled 213,512 trailers or containers, down 7.0 percent from last year, with container volume off 5.5 percent and trailer volume down 11.2 percent. At least part of the decline was attributed to the timing of Chinese New Year this year.
Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 329,185 cars for the week, down 1.1 percent from the comparable week last year. Loadings were up 1.8 percent in the West but down 4.6 percent in the East. Total volume was estimated at 33.5 billion ton-miles, up 0.6 percent from last year.
Five of 19 carload commodity groups were up from last year, with nonmetallic minerals rising 17.5 percent, coal gaining 6.6 percent and petroleum products up 6.0 percent. Among commodities registering declines were lumber and wood products, of 25.0 percent; metallic ores, down 51.9 percent; lumber and wood products, off 25.0 percent and crushed stone, gravel and sand, down 14.7 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first 11 weeks of 2007 totaled 3,475,814 carloads, down 4.7 percent from 2006; 2,487,616 trailers or containers, up 0.9 percent; and total volume of an estimated 353.2 billion ton-miles, down 3.4 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended March 17 carload traffic totaled 79,769 cars, up 2.9 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 43,999 trailers or containers, up 0.7 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 11 weeks of 2007 on the Canadian railroads totaled 818,233 carloads, down 3.6 percent from last year, and 470,255 trailers and containers, down 0.1 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 11 weeks of 2007 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 4,294,047 carloads, down 4.5 percent from last year, and 2,957,871 trailers and containers, up 0.7 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 March 17 totaled 10,450 cars, down 13.6 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 4,111 trailers or containers, up 8.3 percent from the 11th week of 2006.
For the first 11 weeks of 2007, KCSM reported cumulative volume of 114,032 cars, down 8.2 percent from last year, and 45,087 trailers or containers, up 7.6 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.