(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on February 16.)
WASHINGTON — Intermodal traffic was up, but carload freight was down on U.S. railroads during the week ended February 11 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal volume on U.S. railroads totaled 230,020 trailers or containers, up 3.6 percent from last year, with container volume rising 4.4 percent and trailer volume up 1.1 percent.
Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 331,206 cars for the week, down 1.2 percent from the comparable week last year. Loadings were up 1.4 percent in the West but down 4.3 percent in the East. Total volume was estimated at 32.3 billion ton-miles, down 0.3 percent from last year.
Ten of 19 commodity groups were down from last year, with nonmetallic minerals down 37.6 percent; coke off 19.5 percent; and primary forest products down 14.4 percent. Among commodities showing increases were food and food products, up 6.8 percent, and crushed stone, sand and gravel up 4.0 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first six weeks of 2006 totaled 2,000,711 carloads, up 3.2 percent from 2005; 1,356,760 trailers or containers, up 6.2 percent; and total volume of an estimated 195.3 billion ton-miles, up 4.7 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended February 11 carload traffic totaled 71,645 cars, down 6.2 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 43,544 trailers or containers, up 0.3 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first six weeks of 2006 on the Canadian railroads totaled 435,748 carloads, up 0.1 percent from last year, and 252,610 trailers and containers, up 4.2 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first six weeks of 2006 on 13 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 2,436,459 carloads, up 2.6 percent from last year and 1,609,370 trailers and containers, up 5.7 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) during the week ended February 11 totaled 5,317 cars, down 39.0 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 3,298 originated trailers or containers, down 19.3 percent from the sixth week of 2005.
For the first six weeks of 2006, KCSM reported cumulative originated volume of 42,255 cars, down 16.7 percent from last year, and 19,948 trailers or containers, down 12.2 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.