(The Association of American Railroads posted the following on its website on September 22.)
WASHINGTON — For the third time this year, the weekly record for rail intermodal traffic has been broken on U.S. railroads, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal volume of 257,526 trailer or containers during the week ended September 16 broke a record set just two weeks earlier when railroads moved 253,168 trailers and containers. This year’s volume was 5.2 percent higher than in the comparable week last year. Container volume rose 9.1 percent for the week while trailers volume declined by 6.5 percent.
Carload freight totaled 345,676 cars, down 1.2 percent from last year, with loadings up 2.1 percent in the West but off 5.2 percent in the East. The comparison week from last year was the busiest single week in all of 2005.
Total volume was estimated at 34.8 billion ton-miles, up 0.3 percent from 2005.
Among individual carload commodities, coal loadings were up 5.0 percent from last year while metallic ores gained 11.4 percent and metals rose 6.1 percent. On the downside, primary forest produced were down 16.9 percent, lumber was off 16.7 percent and motor vehicles and equipment fell 15.3 percent. In all 12 of 19 commodity groups were down from last year.
Cumulative volume for the first 37 weeks of 2006 totaled 12,452,763 carloads, up 1.3 percent from 2005; 8,688,771 trailers or containers, up 6.4 percent; and total volume of an estimated 1.24 trillion ton-miles, up 2.6 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended September 16 carload traffic totaled 77,382 cars, down 1.7 percent from last year while intermodal volume of 47,841 trailers or containers was up 2.6 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 37 weeks of 2006 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,754,706 carloads, down 1.1 percent from last year, and 1,664,466 trailers and containers, up 5.8 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 37 weeks of 2006 on 13 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 15,207,469 carloads, up 0.9 percent from last year and 10,353,237 trailers and containers, up 6.3 percent from last year.
The AAR also said that during the week ended September 16 Mexican railroad Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) reported total carload volume of 12,037 cars, up 4.5 percent from last year. KCSM reported total intermodal volume of 4,339 trailers or containers, up 21.9 percent from the 37th week of 2005.
For the first 37 weeks of 2006, KCSM reported total cumulative volume of 418,713 cars, down 4.2 percent from last year, and 146,075 trailers or containers, down 4.2 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.
AAR is the world’s leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers. This press release is available weekly via the Internet at www.aar.org.