(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on September 1.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Intermodal volume on U.S. railroads set a weekly record during the week ended August 26, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal volume of 253,981 trailers or containers was up 7.1 percent from the comparable week last year, and broke the previous weekly record of 250,966 set during the week ended July 31. Container volume was up 10.6 percent while trailer volume was off 3.5 percent.
Carload freight totaled 341,285 cars, up 0.7 percent from last year, with loadings up 3.9 percent in the West but off 3.0 percent in the East.
Total volume was estimated at 34.3 billion ton-miles, up 1.8 percent from 2005.
Among individual carload commodities, coal loadings were up 6.0 percent from last year while metals were up 14.4 percent and metallic ores gained 11.5 percent. On the downside, coke was down 18.3 percent; primary forest products were off 17.8 percent; and motor vehicles and equipment declined 12.6 percent. Overall, 11 of 19 commodity groups were down from a year ago.
Cumulative volume for the first 34 weeks of 2006 totaled 11,437,619 carloads, up 1.5 percent from 2005; 7,962,404 trailers or containers, up 6.4 percent; and total volume of an estimated 1.13 trillion ton-miles, up 2.7 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended August 26 carload traffic totaled 75,163 cars, down 3.2 percent from last year while intermodal volume of 47,785 trailers or containers was up 5.2 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 34 weeks of 2006 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,526,611 carloads, down 1.4 percent from last year, and 1,526,034 trailers and containers, up 6.0 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 34 weeks of 2006 on 13 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 13,964,230 carloads, up 0.9 percent from last year and 9,488,438 trailers and containers, up 6.3 percent from last year.
The AAR also said that during the week ended August 26 Mexican railroad Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) reported total carload volume of 11,516 cars, up 3.1 percent from last year. KCSM reported total intermodal volume of 4,244 trailers or containers, down 1.6 percent from the 34th week of 2005.
For the first 34 weeks of 2006, KCSM reported total cumulative volume of 383,216 cars, down 4.8 percent from last year, and 132,828 trailers or containers, down 5.6 percent.
Railroads reporting to AAR account for 87 percent of U.S. carload freight and 96 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.