(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on May 25.)
WASHINGTON — Carload freight on U.S. railroads reached its highest level so far during 2006 during the week ended May 20, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Carload volume totaled 349,455 cars, up 8.4 percent from the corresponding week last year, with volume up 17.9 percent in the West but down 1.5 percent in the East. Much of the increase in the West was attributed to the fact that the comparison week from last year was affected by a derailment in the Powder River Basin that sharply reduced coal volume.
Intermodal volume also gained 8.4 percent from last year, totaling 243,800 trailers or containers. Container volume grew by 10.7 percent while trailer volume was up 1.3 percent.
Total freight volume for the week was estimated at 34.4 billion ton-miles, up 10.3 percent from last year.
Six of 19 individual carload commodity groups were up from last year, with coal up 28.1 percent from last year, when the Powder River derailment reduced coal shipments. Also up were loadings of metals (7.5 percent), crushed stone, sand and gravel (5.8 percent) and petroleum products (5.6 percent). Commodities registering decline included primary forest products (19.4 percent), nonmetallic minerals (13.3 percent) and coke (9.9 percent).
Cumulative volume for the first 20 weeks of 2006 totaled 6,732,297 carloads, up 0.9 percent from 2005; 4,602,435 trailers or containers, up 6.1 percent; and total volume of an estimated 664.7 billion ton-miles, up 2.1 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended May 20 carload traffic totaled 75,525 cars, down 5.0 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 47,477 trailers or containers, up 5.4 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 20 weeks of 2006 on the Canadian railroads totaled 1,495,364 carloads, down 2.3 percent from last year, and 887,290 trailers and containers, up 5.0 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 20 weeks of 2006 on 13 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 8,227,661 carloads, up 0.3 percent from last year and 5,489,725 trailers and containers, up 5.9 percent from last year.
The AAR also said that during the week ended May 20 Mexican railroad Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) reported total carload volume of 11,133 cars, down 14.2 percent from last year. KCSM reported total intermodal volume of 4,489 trailers or containers, down 9.1 percent from the 20th week of 2005.
For the first 20 weeks of 2006, KCSM reported total cumulative volume of 227,169 cars, down 6.3 percent from last year, and 75,887 trailers or containers, down 7.3 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.
AAR is the world’s leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers.