(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on December 15.)
WASHINGTON — With three reporting weeks yet to go, intermodal traffic on U.S. railroads has already set an annual record in 2005, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal volume reached 11,058,012 trailers or containers during week
49 (the week ended December 10), breaking the record established last year when railroads moved 10,993,662 units over 52 weeks. This year’s volume was also 6.0 percent over the 49 week total for last year.
During just the week ended December 10, intermodal volume totaled
237,801 trailers or containers, 0.9 percent above the comparable week last year.
Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled
314,719 cars for the week, down 7.2 percent from the comparable week last year. Loadings were down 9.4 percent in the West and 4.6 percent in the East. Total volume was estimated at 32.3 billion ton-miles, down 5.8 percent from last year. Volume during the week was affected by heavy storms in some parts of the country.
Four of 19 carload commodity groups were up from last year, with lumber and wood products up 6.7 percent and crushed stone, sand and gravel up
2.6 percent. Sharp decreases were reported in loadings metallic ores, down 22.5 percent; nonmetallic minerals, down 20.2 percent; and motor vehicles and equipment, down 15.6 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first 49 weeks of 2005 totaled 16,287,921 carloads, up 0.7 percent from 2004; 11,058,012 trailers or containers, up 6.0 percent; and total volume of an estimated 1.60 trillion ton-miles, up 2.2 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended December 10 carload traffic totaled 73,529 cars, down 8.1 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 44,182 trailers or containers, up 4.8 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 49 weeks of 2005 on the Canadian railroads totaled 3,724,109 carloads, down 1.3 percent from last year, and 2,129,919 trailers and containers, up 3.5 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 49 weeks of 2005 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 20,012,030 carloads, up 0.3 percent from last year and 13,187,931 trailers and containers, up 5.6 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended December 10 totaled 7,352 cars, down 26.6 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,893 originated trailers or containers, down 13.8 percent from the 49th week of 2004.
For the first 49 weeks of 2005, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 405,309 cars, down 5.3 percent from last year, and 189,320 trailers or containers, up 1.6 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.