(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on October 6.)
WASHINGTON — Despite hurricane-related disruptions to their operations, U.S. freight railroad carload traffic rose 2.5 percent (32,733 carloads) and U.S. intermodal traffic rose 6.9 percent (60,413 trailers and containers) in September 2005 compared to September 2004, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
In September 2005, U.S. freight railroads reporting to the AAR originated 1,351,237 carloads (up from 1,318,504 in September 2004) and 937,360 intermodal units (up from 876,947 in September 2004). For the third quarter of 2005, U.S. rail carloadings of 4,309,292 were 1.0 percent higher (42,520 carloads) than the third quarter of 2004, while intermodal traffic of 2,991,479 units was 6.5 percent higher (181,618 units) than the same period in 2004. For the first nine months of 2005, U.S. railroads originated 12,996,735 carloads, up 1.4 percent (185,016 carloads) from 2004, and 8,657,536 intermodal units, up 6.3 percent (512,596 units) from 2004. Total volume was estimated at 1.25 trillion ton-miles, up 2.3 percent from the first 39 weeks of 2004.
In September 2005, 13 of the 19 major commodity categories tracked by the AAR saw carload increases on U.S. railroads, including coal (up 3.2 percent, or 17,162 carloads, to 557,449 carloads), crushed stone, sand, and gravel (up 15.2 percent, or 12,305 carloads, to 93,420 carloads), and nonmetallic minerals (up 30.0 percent, or 7,207 carloads, to 31,227 carloads). Commodities seeing carload declines on U.S. railroads in September included metallic ores (down 15.3 percent, or 5,406 carloads, to 30,009 carloads) and chemicals (down 3.4 percent, or 3,944 carloads, to 112,555 carloads). Grain carloadings were up 1.6 percent (1,319 carloads) in September 2005 compared with September 2004 to 86,107 carloads.
In the third quarter of 2005, 10 of the 19 major commodity categories saw U.S. carload increases, including crushed stone and gravel (up 10.9 percent, or 30,466 carloads), grain (up 5.0 percent, or 13,213 carloads), and coal (up 0.7 percent, or 11,476 carloads).
For the year to date, 13 of the 19 major commodity categories saw carload increases on U.S. railroads, including coal (up 2.0 percent, or 103,953 carloads, to 5,252,212 carloads), crushed stone and gravel (up 9.0 percent, or 73,030 carloads, to 882,460 carloads), and grain mill products (up 5.6 percent, or 19,369 carloads, to 365,531 carloads). Carloads of motor vehicles and equipment were down 2.8 percent (24,762 carloads) in 2005 through September, while carloads of waste and scrap materials were down 5.5 percent (22,255 carloads).
“U.S. freight railroads have done a tremendous job getting most of their operations back on line following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. As the affected regions rebuild, railroads will be a critical part of the reconstruction and relief efforts, and they will be up to the task,” noted AAR Vice President Craig F. Rockey. “Intermodal is the other big story. The top three highest-volume intermodal weeks in history for U.S. railroads occurred in September,” Rockey added.
Canadian railroads originated 306,992 carloads in September 2005, down 0.9 percent (2,665 carloads) from September 2004. Commodities showing carload gains on Canadian railroads in September 2005 included grain (up 15.7 percent, or 4,410 carloads, to 32,553 carloads) and farm products excluding grain (up 21.4 percent, or 2,152 carloads, to 12,186 carloads). Canadian chemical traffic was down 5.3 percent (3,124 carloads) in September to 55,939 carloads.
In the third quarter of 2005, Canadian railroads originated 966,508 carloads (down 1.4 percent, or 13,435 carloads). For the first nine months of 2005, Canadian carload traffic of 2,955,157 carloads was down 0.5 percent (14,908 carloads) over the same period in 2004.
Canadian intermodal traffic of 179,559 units in September 2005 was up 4.5 percent (7,778 units) from September 2004, while third quarter intermodal traffic of 570,907 units was up 3.7 percent (20,122 units) from last year. For 2005 to date, Canadian intermodal traffic was up 2.9 percent (46,565 units) to 1,667,647 trailers and containers.
Carloads originated on Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM), a major Mexican railroad, were down 14.6 percent (5,397 carloads) in September, down 9.3 percent (10,555 carloads) in the third quarter, and down 2.7 percent (8,989 carloads) for the year to date. Intermodal originations on TFM were down 3.7 percent (577 units) in September, down 2.4 percent (1,196 units) in the third quarter, and up 3.9 percent (5,527 units) for the year to date.
For just the week ended October 1, the AAR reported the following totals for U.S. railroads: 337,253 carloads, up 0.2 percent (828 carloads) from the corresponding week in 2004, with loadings up 9.2 percent in the East and down 6.6 percent in the West; intermodal volume of 246,530 trailers and containers (the highest weekly total ever), up 8.1 percent; and total volume of an estimated 33.4 billion ton-miles, up 1.2 percent from the equivalent week last year.
For Canadian railroads during the week ended October 1, the AAR reported volume of 78,724 carloads, down 6.5 percent from last year; and 45,823 trailers and containers, up 1.2 percent from the corresponding week in 2004.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 39 weeks of 2005 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 15,951,892 carloads, up 1.1 percent (170,108 carloads) from last year; and 10,325,183 trailers and containers, up 5.7 percent (559,1611 trailers and containers) from 2004’s first 39 weeks.