(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on July 14.)
WASHINGTON — Gains in loadings of coal, grain and metals led the way as freight traffic on U.S. railroads during the week ended July 8 was above year-earlier levels, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today. Both the current week and the comparison week from last year included the Independence Day holiday.
Coal loadings were up by more than 10,000 cars (9.0 percent) from last year. Grain was up by almost 2,700 cars (14.6 percent) while metals showed almost a 3,000-car gain (30.2 percent), as nine of 19 carload commodity groups were up from last year.
Overall, carload volume for the week totaled 294,499 cars, up 4.9 percent from last year, with loadings up 7.1 percent in the West, and 1.5 percent in the East.
Intermodal volume gained 3.8 percent from last year, totaling 193,854 trailers or containers. Container volume grew by 5.8 percent while trailer volume declined 2.4 percent.
Total freight volume for the week was estimated at 29.6 billion ton-miles, up 6.1 percent from last year.
Cumulative volume for the first 27 weeks of 2006 totaled 9,084,590 carloads, up 1.6 percent from 2005; 6,223,613 trailers or containers, up 6.3 percent; and total volume of an estimated 896.6 billion ton-miles, up 2.8 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended July 8 carload traffic totaled 69,039 cars, down 1.5 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 42,606 trailers or containers, up 5.1 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 27 weeks of 2006 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,010,317 carloads, down 1.8 percent from last year, and 1,203,185 trailers and containers, up 5.9 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 27 weeks of 2006 on 13 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 11,094,907 carloads, up 0.9 percent from last year and 7,426,798 trailers and containers, up 6.3 percent from last year.
The AAR also said that during the week ended July 8 Mexican railroad Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) reported total carload volume of 11,378 cars, up 1.9 percent from last year. KCSM reported total intermodal volume of 3,405 trailers or containers, the same as during the 27th week of 2005.
For the first 27 weeks of 2006, KCSM reported total cumulative volume of 308,374 cars, down 5.0 percent from last year, and 105,341 trailers or containers, down 6.4 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.