(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on February 5, 2009.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. rail carload traffic fell 17.2 percent (221,426 carloads) to 1,067,548 carloads in the first four weeks of 2009 compared with the first four weeks of 2008, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today. U.S. rail intermodal traffic (which is not included in carloads) fell 12.9 percent (116,823 trailers and containers) to 788,115 units in January. Total January volume was estimated at 113.3 billion ton-miles, down 15.9 percent from a year earlier.
“January marks the third straight record monthly decline for U.S. rail traffic, as the severe recession is now negatively affecting every major rail market,” said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray. “Nevertheless, railroads are planning to maintain a strong level of re-investment in 2009, as they have for the last several years. Actual re-investment levels will depend to some extent to how deep the recession goes and how long it lasts, but railroads know that they have to invest today to have the rail capacity America needs for tomorrow.”
Canadian rail carload traffic (which includes both the Canadian and U.S. operations of CN and Canadian Pacific, the two largest Canadian railroads) fell 17.5 percent (51,689 carloads) in January 2009 to 243,031 carloads, while Canadian intermodal traffic fell 23,710 units (12.3 percent) to 168,576 trailers and containers.
Carloadings of every major commodity fell in January 2009 on U.S. railroads, including motor vehicles and equipment (down 44,800 carloads, or 63.0 percent, to 26,331 carloads); grain (down 28,177 carloads, or 27.0 percent to 76,143 carloads); and metal products (down 24,530 carloads, or 47.7 percent, to 26,890 carloads. Carloads of coal were down 3.3 percent (18,733 carloads) in January 2009 to 545,086 carloads.
Canadian carload declines were paced by chemicals (down 20.1 percent, or 12,239 carloads); motor vehicles and equipment (down 51.3 percent, or 11,517 carloads); and metallic ores (down 17.1 percent, or 8,559 carloads).
Mexican rail carload originations (which include Ferrocarril Mexicano and Kansas City Southern dé Mexico) were down 15.4 percent (7,649 carloads) in January 2009, while intermodal originations were down 23.7 percent (5,569 trailers and containers).
For just the week ended January 31, the AAR reported the following totals for U.S. railroads: 261,380 carloads, down 18.4 percent from the corresponding week in 2008; intermodal volume of 189,713 trailers and containers, down 16.0 percent; and total volume of an estimated 27.8 billion ton-miles, down 17.3 percent from the equivalent week last year.
For Canadian railroads during the week ended January 31, the AAR reported volume of 64,141 carloads, down 6.5 percent from last year; and 42,359 trailers and containers, down 6.3 percent from the corresponding week in 2008.
Combined cumulative volume for the first four weeks of 2009 on 12 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads was 1,310,579 carloads, down 17.2 percent (273,115 carloads) from last year; and 956,691 trailers and containers, down 12.8 percent (140,533 trailers and containers) from 2008’s first four weeks.