(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on September 27.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was up from the corresponding week last year during the week ended September 22, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Carload freight totaled 339,266 cars, up 0.2 percent from last year, with loadings up 4.7 percent in the West but down 5.4 percent in the East.
A total of 249,840 trailers and containers were loaded during the week, down 2.5 percent the comparable week last year. Container volume was down 1.0 percent while trailer loadings were off 7.5 percent from last year.
Total volume was estimated at 35.5 billion ton-miles, up 1.4 percent from the comparable week last year.
Among individual carload commodities, chemicals were up 6.9 percent from last year while grain registered a 5.1 percent gain and coal rose 3.1 percent. On the downside, coke was off 20.9 percent; pulp, paper and allied products declined 13.8 percent and lumber and wood products were off 11.6 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first 38 weeks of 2007 totaled 12,362,319 carloads, down 3.3 percent from 2006; 8,771,389 trailers or containers, off 1.9 percent; and total volume of an estimated 1.27 trillion ton-miles, down 1.8 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended September 22 carload traffic totaled 83,624 cars, up 3.6 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 50,853 trailers or containers, up 4.6 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 38 weeks of 2007 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,956,099 carloads, down 1.0 percent from last year, and 1,760,281 trailers and containers, up 2.9 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 38 weeks of 2007 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 15,318,418 carloads, down 2.9 percent from last year, and 10,531,670 trailers and containers, down 1.2 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that carload freight on the Mexican railroad Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) during the week ended September 22 totaled 11,048 cars, up 0.2 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 5,180 trailers or containers, up 8.6 percent from the 38th week of 2006.
For the first 38 weeks of 2007, KCSM reported cumulative volume of 412,006 cars, down 4.1 percent from last year, and 171,564 trailers or containers, up 13.7 percent.
Railroads reporting to AAR account for 89 percent of U.S. carload freight and 98 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.