(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on January 14, 2010.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads today reported that freight rail traffic is off to a slow start in 2010 with U.S. railroads originating 236,796 carloads for the week ending Jan. 9, 2010, down 12.4 percent compared with the same week in 2009 and down 28 percent from the same week in 2008. In order to offer a complete picture of the progress in rail traffic, AAR will now be reporting 2010 weekly rail traffic with year-over-year comparisons for both 2009 and 2008.
In the Western U.S., carloads were down 12.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 20.3 percent compared with 2008. In the East, carloads were down 12 percent compared with 2009, and down 11.9 percent compared with the same week in 2008.
Intermodal traffic totaled 196,788 trailers and containers, down 3.6 percent from a year ago, but down 17.4 percent from 2008. Compared with the same week in 2009, container volume fell 2.3 percent and trailer volume dropped 9.8 percent. Compared with the same week in 2008, container volume fell 11.9 percent and trailer volume dropped 38.2 percent.
Eleven of the 19 carload freight commodity groups were up in comparison with the same week last year, 6 of those posting double digit increases. Increases in commodity groups ranged from 5.5 percent for lumber and wood products to 94 percent for metallic ores. Declines in commodity groups ranged from 36.6 percent for crushed sand, stone and gravel to .1 percent for the catch-all category labeled “all other carloads.”
Total volume on U.S. railroads for the week ending Jan. 9, 2009 was estimated at 25.5 billion ton-miles, down 12.4 percent compared with the same week last year and down 25.9 percent from 2008.
Canadian railroads reported a weekly and cumulative volume of 67,333 cars for the first week of the year, up 20.4 percent from last year, and 43,033 trailers or containers, up .2 percent from 2009.
Mexican railroads reported a weekly and cumulative volume of 12,123 cars for the first week of the year, up 32.1 percent from the same week last year, and 5,722 trailers or containers, up 44.4 percent.
Combined North American rail volume for the first week of 2010 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 316,252 carloads, down 5.8 percent from last year, and 245,543 trailers and containers, down 2.2 percent from last year.