(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on January 17.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads rose during the week ended January 12 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Carload freight totaled 329,997 cars, up 3.2 percent from last year. Volume was up 5.7 percent in the West and 0.1 percent in the East.
Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 238,277, up 0.3 percent from a year ago. Container volume rose 0.1 percent while trailer volume gained 0.8 percent.
Total volume was estimated at 34.0 billion ton-miles, an increase of 4.0 percent from the second week of 2007.
Among individual carload commodities, metallic ores gained 56.0 percent while petroleum products were up 16.5 percent and grain rose 10.8 percent. On the downside, coke was off 43.7 percent, lumber and wood products fell 25.7 percent and primary forest products declined 10.8 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first two weeks of 2008 totaled 607,877 carloads, up 0.2 percent from 2007; 402,079 trailers or containers, down 5.7 percent; and total volume of an estimated 62.5 billion ton-miles, up 1.0 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended January 12 carload traffic totaled 76,357 cars, up 10.1 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 49,814 trailers or containers, up 15.8 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first two weeks of 2008 on the Canadian railroads totaled 141,113 carloads, up 1.3 percent from last year, and 84,494 trailers and containers, an increase of 12.0 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first two weeks of 2008 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 748,990 carloads, up 0.4 percent from last year, and 486,573 trailers and containers, a 3.0 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 12 totaled 9,757 cars, off 4.3 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 4,605 trailers or containers, up 16.6 percent from the second week of 2007.
For the first two weeks of 2008, KCSM reported cumulative volume of 17,622 cars, down 3.2 percent from last year, and 6,893 trailers or containers, up 10.5 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.