(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on December 3, 2009.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads today reported that freight rail traffic was down for the Thanksgiving holiday week ended Nov. 28, 2009. U.S. railroads reported originating 246,133 carloads for the week, down 3.9 percent compared with the same week in 2008 and down 29.3 percent from the same week in 2007. The comparison week from 2008 included the Thanksgiving Holiday, while the 2007 comparison week did not. In order to offer a complete picture of the progress in rail traffic, AAR will now be reporting 2009 weekly rail traffic with year over year comparisons for both 2008 and 2007.
In the Western U.S., carloads were down 3.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 23.9 percent compared with 2007. In the East, carloads were down 4.3 percent compared with 2008, and 37.3 percent compared with the same week in 2007.
Intermodal traffic totaled 165,856 trailers and containers, down 6.4 percent from a year ago and 32.1 percent from 2007. Compared with the same week in 2008, container volume dropped 0.9 percent and trailer volume dropped 27.2 percent. Compared with the same week in 2007, container volume fell 26.2 percent and trailer volume dropped 51.9 percent.
While 10 of the 19 carload freight commodity groups were down compared with the same week last year, increases were seen in nonmetallic minerals (38.1 percent), grain (21.3 percent), farm products not including grain (20.1 percent), motor vehicles and equipment (15 percent), chemicals (13.2 percent), grain mill products (11.5 percent), metals and products (11.2 percent), metallic ores (3.1 percent) and petroleum products (2.2 percent). Declines in commodity groups ranged from 0.9 percent for crushed stone, sand and gravel to 28.3 percent for coke.
Total volume on U.S. railroads for the week ending Nov. 28, 2009 was estimated at 27.6 billion ton-miles, down 3.8 percent compared with the same week last year and down 25 percent from 2007.
For the first 47 weeks of 2009, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 12,571,696 carloads, down 17.1 percent from 2008 and 18.2 percent from 2007; 8,967,824 trailers or containers, down 15.5 percent from 2008 and 18.3 percent from 2007, and total volume of an estimated 1.35 trillion ton-miles, down 16.2 percent from 2008 and 16.7 percent from 2007.
Canadian railroads reported volume of 69,216 cars for the week, down 3.8 percent from last year, and 42,123 trailers or containers, down 7.5 percent from 2008. For the first 47 weeks of 2009, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,941,470 carloads, down 19.6 percent from last year, and 1,933,397 trailers or containers, down 15.2 percent from last year.
Mexican railroads reported originated volume of 12,760 cars, down 1.7 percent from the same week last year, and 7,602 trailers or containers, up 24.1 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 47 weeks of 2009 was reported as 543,328 carloads, down 11.2 percent from last year; and 258,955 trailers or containers, down 15.2 percent.
Combined North American rail volume for the first 47 weeks of 2009 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 16,056,494 carloads, down 17.4 percent from last year, and 11,160,176 trailers and containers, down 15.4 percent from last year.