(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on July 21.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was up during the week ended July 16 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Carload freight for the week totaled 321,887 cars, up 1.2 percent from last year. Carload traffic was up 3.6 percent in the West but down 1.9 percent in the East.
Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 226,580 trailers or containers, up 5.0 percent from last year, with containers up 8.0 percent but trailers down 3.6 percent.
Total volume was estimated at 32.6 billion ton-miles, up 1.9 percent from last year.
Nine of 19 carload commodity groups were up from last year with double digit gains reported in loadings of grain mill products, up 15.8 percent; grain, up 10.1 percent; and farm products other than grain, up 26.8 percent. On the downside, loadings of coke were down 19.0 percent; nonmetallic minerals declined 18.3 percent; and primary forest products were off 11.2 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first 28 weeks of 2005 totaled 9,291,314 carloads, up 1.6 percent from 2004; 6,079,306 trailers or containers, up 6.1 percent; and total volume of an estimated 884.9 billion ton-miles, up 2.4 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended July 16 carload traffic totaled 67,806 cars, down 3.8 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 42,550 trailers or containers, down 0.9 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 28 weeks of 2005 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,126,623 carloads, down 0.4 percent from last year, and 1,179,933 trailers and containers, up 2.1 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 28 weeks of 2005 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 11,417,937 carloads, up 1.2 percent from last year and 7,259,239 trailers and containers, up 5.4 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended July 16 totaled 7,624 cars, down 4.9 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 2,867 originated trailers or containers, down 9.5 percent from the 28th week of 2004. For the first 28 weeks of 2005, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 240,345 cars, up 0.6 percent from last year, and 106,543 trailers or containers, up 6.3 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.