(The Association of American Railroads issued the following release on January 25.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. was off during the week ended January 20 in comparison with the corresponding week last year as winter storms continued to impact rail traffic in some parts of the country, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal volume totaled 224,101 trailers or containers, down 3.0 percent from last year, with container volume off 0.1 percent and trailer volume down 12.1 percent. Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 308,399 cars for the week , down 8.3 percent from the comparable week last year. Loadings were down 9.1 percent in the West and 7.2 percent in the East. Total volume was estimated at 31.3 billion ton-miles, off 7.4 percent from last year.
Cumulative volume for the first three weeks of 2007 totaled 915,003 carloads, down 7.1 percent from 2006; 650,322 trailers or containers, off 1.8 percent; and total volume of an estimated 92.8 billion ton-miles, down 6.0 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended January 20 carload traffic totaled 74,351 cars, down 4.1 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 44,607 trailers or containers, up 6.3 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first three weeks of 2007 on the Canadian railroads totaled 213,350 carloads, down 6.6 percent from last year, and 120,173 trailers and containers, down 2.4 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first three weeks of 2007on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 1,128,353 carloads, down 7.0 percent from last year, and 770,495 trailers and containers, off 1.9 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 January 20 totaled 9,175 cars, down 16.7 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 4,327 trailers or containers, up 19.4 percent from the third week of 2006.
For the first three of 2007, KCSM reported cumulative volume of 27,384 cars, down 18.7 percent from last year, and 10,563 trailers or containers, up 8.3 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.