(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on November 12, 2009.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads today reported that freight rail traffic remains down for the week ended Nov. 7, 2009. U.S. railroads reported originating 274,846 carloads for the week, down 12.2 percent compared with the same week in 2008 and down 19.6 percent from the same week in 2007. 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 comparisons for both 2008 and 2007.
In the West, carloads were down 12.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 19.6 percent compared with 2007. In the East, carloads were down 11.9 percent compared with 2008, and 19.6 percent compared with the same week in 2007.
Intermodal traffic showed incremental improvement from Week 43, totaling 206,890 trailers and containers, down 9.5 percent from a year ago and 15.2 percent from 2007. Compared with the same week in 2008, container volume fell 3.4 percent and trailer volume dropped 32.3 percent. Compared with the same week in 2007, container volume fell 8.1 percent and trailer volume dropped 39.8 percent.
While 15 of the 19 carload freight commodity groups were down compared with the same week last year, increases were seen in grain (10 percent), nonmetallic minerals (2.8 percent), grain mill products (2.4 percent) and waste and scrap metal (1.6 percent). Declines in commodity groups ranged from 1.5 percent for farm products excluding grain to 34.2 percent for lumber and wood products.
Total volume on U.S. railroads for the week ending Nov. 7, 2009 was estimated at 31 billion ton-miles, down 11.5 percent compared with the same week last year and 14.7 percent from 2007.
For the first 44 weeks of 2009, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 11,757,465 carloads, down 17.8 percent from 2008 and 18.3 percent from 2007; 8,380,530 trailers or containers, down 16.1 percent from 2008 and 18.6 percent from 2007, and total volume of an estimated 1.26 trillion ton-miles, down 16.8 percent from 2008 and 17 percent from 2007.
Canadian railroads reported volume of 71,619 cars for the week, down 3.6 percent from last year, and 42,987 trailers or containers, down 10 percent from 2008. For the first 44 weeks of 2009, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,728,332 carloads, down 20.7 percent from last year, and 1,806,746 trailers or containers, down 15.7 percent.
Mexican railroads reported originated volume of 11,418 cars, down 10.1 percent from the same week last year, and 6,643 trailers or containers, down 2.5 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 44 weeks of 2009 was reported as 505,855 carloads, down 11.9 percent from last year; and 238,168 trailers or containers, down 16.9 percent.
Combined North American rail volume for the first 44 weeks of 2009 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 14,991,652 carloads, down 18.1 percent from last year, and 10,425,444 trailers and containers, down 16 percent from last year.