(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on November 20.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight volume on U.S. railroads was off during the week ended November 15 in comparison with the same week a year ago, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today. Both weeks included the Veterans Day Holiday.
Carload freight for the week totaled 309,099 cars, down 9.1 percent from last year, with volume off 6.5 percent in the West and 12.8 percent in the East. Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 225,375 trailers or containers, down 7.9 percent from last year. Container volume was off 6.9 percent while trailer traffic fell 11.7 percent. Total volume was estimated at 32.8 billion ton-miles, down 7.9 percent from the comparable week last year.
Cumulative volume for the first 46 weeks of 2008 totaled 14,939,959 carloads, down 0.9 percent from 2007; 10,376,137 trailers or containers, down 3.2 percent; and total volume of an estimated 1.56 trillion ton-miles, up 0.2 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended November 15 carload traffic totaled 68,430 cars, down 13.6 percent from last year, while intermodal volume totaled 46,574 trailers or containers, down 9.0 percent from 2007.
Cumulative originations for the first 46 weeks of 2008 on the Canadian railroads totaled 3,405,757 carloads, down 5.1 percent from last year, and 2,226,438 trailers and containers, an increase of 3.0 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 46 weeks of 2008 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 18,345,716 carloads, down 1.7 percent from last year, and 12,602,575 trailers and containers, a 2.2 percent decrease from last year.
Also for the week ended November 15, Mexico’s two reporting railroads showed the following results:
Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM), 9,778 total carloads, down 15.9 percent from last year, and 5,444 trailers or containers, down 5.6 percent.
Ferrocarril Mexicano (Ferromex), 22,379 total carloads, up 122.2 percent from last year, and 2,991 trailers or containers, up 18.5 percent.
For the first 46 weeks of 2008, Mexico’s railroads reported the following cumulative totals:
KCSM, 469,970 total carloads, down 6.5 percent from the first 46 weeks of 2007, and 233,987 trailers or containers, up 8.8 percent.
Ferromex, 573,938 total carloads, up 2.9 percent from last year and 133,479 trailers or containers, down 0.2 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.