(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on July 10.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Both carload and intermodal freight registered gains during the week ended July 5 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today. Both weeks included the Fourth of July holiday.
Carload freight in the week totaled 286,242 cars, up 1.1 percent from last year. Volume was up 1.5 percent in the West and 0.3 percent in the East.
Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 194,136 trailers or containers, up 0.8 percent from a year ago. Trailer volume was up 7.3 percent while container traffic slipped 0.9 percent.
Total volume was estimated at 30.0 billion ton-miles, up 2.0 percent from the 27th week of 2007.
Eleven of 19 carload commodities registered gains from a year ago with metallic ores up 14.3 percent, grain up 13.6 percent and metals up 13.7 percent. Among commodities reporting declines were farm products other than grain, 17.2 percent, lumber and wood products, 15.6 percent; and motor vehicles and equipment, 14.0 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first 27 weeks of 2008 totaled 8,737,978 carloads, up 0.3 percent from 2007; 5,955,153 trailers or containers, down 3.1 percent; and total volume of an estimated 903.8 billion ton-miles, up 1.5 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended July 5 carload traffic totaled 67,848 cars, down 5.8 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 44,624 trailers or containers, up 1.9 percent from last year. Both weeks included the Canada Day holiday.
Cumulative originations for the first 27 weeks of 2008 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,006,063 carloads, down 4.1 percent from last year, and 1,271,319 trailers and containers, an increase of 4.2 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 27 weeks of 2008 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 10,744,041 carloads, down 0.6 percent from last year, and 7,226,472 trailers and containers, a 1.9 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 July 5 totaled 11,198 cars, up 7.3 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 4,433 trailers or containers, up 10.6 percent from the 27th week of 2007.
For the first 27 weeks of 2008, KCSM reported cumulative volume of 284,854 cars, down 2.9 percent from last year, and 128,180 trailers or containers, up 10.0 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.