(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on February 14.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Total rail freight volume on U.S. railroads was up during the first week of February in comparison with the same week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Total volume was estimated at 32.7 billion ton-miles, up 2.5 percent from last year.
Carload freight totaled 316,031cars, up 1.2 percent from last year. Carload volume was up 2.1 percent in the East and 0.7 percent in the West.
Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 225,205 trailers or containers, down 3.1 percent from a year ago. Container volume fell 3.5 percent while trailer volume was off 1.3 percent.
Nine of 19 individual carload commodities showed gains from last year, with farm products other than grain up 34.8 percent; grain up 30.1 percent; and metallic ores up 15.8 percent. Sharp declines were reported in loadings of coke, 36.4 percent; lumber and wood products, 20.7 percent; and primary forest products, 17.7 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first six weeks of 2008 totaled 1,882,752 carloads, up 1.0 percent from 2007; 1,293,945 trailers or containers, down 3.3 percent; and total volume of an estimated 194.4 billion ton-miles, up 2.0 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended February 9 carload traffic totaled 73,794 cars, up 1.2 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 46,204 trailers or containers, up 2.4 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first six weeks of 2008 on the Canadian railroads totaled 433,914 carloads, down 2.4 percent from last year, and 273,458 trailers and containers, an increase of 8.2 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first six weeks of 2008 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 2,316,666 carloads, up 0.3 percent from last year, and 1,567,403 trailers and containers, a 1.5 percent decrease from last year.
The AAR also reported that carload freight on the Mexican railroad Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) during the week ended February 9 totaled 9,618 cars, off 9.5 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 4,318 trailers or containers, up 7.0 percent from the sixth week of 2007.
For the first six weeks of 2008, KCSM reported cumulative volume of 58,797 cars, down 1.9 percent from last year, and 25,980 trailers or containers, up 10.4 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.