(The Association American Railroads issued the following on July 9, 2009.)
WASHINGTON, July 9, 2009 — The Association American Railroads today reported that freight traffic on U.S. railroads continues to parallel the nation’s overall economic condition, as traffic remained down year over year for the week ended July 4, 2009. U.S railroads reported originating 241,240 cars, down 15.6 percent compared with the same week in 2008. Total volume on U.S. railroads for the week ending July 4 was estimated at 25.7 billion ton-miles, off 14.3 percent from the same week last year.
Regionally, carloadings were down 11.1 percent in the West and 23.0 percent in the East. Intermodal volume of 169,290 trailers or containers was down 12.8 percent from the same week last year. Container volume fell 6.4 percent and trailer volume dropped 34.9 percent.
Eighteen of 19 carload freight commodity groups were down from last year, with declines ranging from 3.3 percent for coal to 72.4 percent for metallic ores. The lone group showing an increase was grain-mill products, which was up 4.3 percent.
For the first 26 weeks of 2009, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 6,806,892 carloads, down 19.2 percent from 2008; 4,816,358 trailers or containers, down 16.8 percent, and total volume of an estimated 723.7 billion ton-miles, down 18.3 percent.
Canadian railroads reported volume of 56,888 cars for the week, down 20.5 percent from last year, and 36,280 trailers or containers, down 18.7 percent. For the first 26 weeks of 2009, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,549,980 carloads, down 24.0 percent from last year, and 1,041,140 trailers or containers, down 15.7 percent.
Mexican railroads reported originated volume of 11,347 cars, down 40.2 percent from the same week last year, and 4,611 trailers or containers, off 42.0 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 26 weeks of 2009 was reported as 293,697 carloads, down 15.1 percent from last year; and 123,556 trailers or containers, down 22.0 percent.
Combined North American rail volume for the first 26 weeks of 2009 on 14 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 8,650,569 carloads, down 20.0 percent from last year, and 5,981,054 trailers and containers, down 16.8 percent from last year.
Effective this week, Canadian National (CN) now incorporates traffic of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad (EJ&E). All CN 2008 and 2009 data has been restated on a pro-forma basis to include EJ&E traffic as if it was part of CN since Jan. 1, 2008. The former EJ&E traffic is now included in the Canadian total, not the U.S. totals.