(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on July 6.)
WASHINGTON — With coal and intermodal traffic again leading the way, U.S. railroads reported strong traffic gains in June 2006, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Rail performance regarding coal traffic was highlighted by AAR Vice President Craig F. Rockey: “By transporting more coal in June and the second quarter of 2006 than any prior month or quarter on record, railroads have successfully enabled electric utilities to both meet the surge in demand for coal-fired generation (due in large part to high natural gas prices) and, at the same time, return utility stockpiles to more robust levels after they had been systematically reduced by utilities over prior years.”
Overall, U.S. railroads originated 1,381,947 carloads of freight in June 2006, up 47,167 carloads (3.5 percent) from June 2005. U.S. railroads also originated 979,501 intermodal units in June 2006, an increase of 68,130 trailers and containers (7.5 percent) over June 2005.
Nine of the 19 major commodity categories tracked by the AAR saw carload increases in the U.S. in June 2006 compared to June 2005, led by coal (up 41,026 carloads, or 7.8 percent, to 569,263 carloads). Other increases included grain (up 8,016 carloads, or 9.9 percent, to 89,039 carloads and metal products (up 7,975 carloads, or 15.9 percent, to 58,260 carloads).
Commodities showing carload declines in June 2006 included nonmetallic minerals (down 6,142 carloads, or 19.5 percent, to 25,413 carloads); metallic ores (down 5,179 carloads, or 14.9 percent, to 29,637 carloads); and chemicals (down 3,558 carloads, or 2.9 percent, to 117,509 carloads).
In the second quarter of 2006, total U.S. rail carloadings were up 2.3 percent (98,824 carloads) to 4,452,590 carloads, while intermodal traffic, which consists of trailers and containers on flat cars and is not included in carload figures, was up 7.3 percent (210,525 units) to 3,095,328 trailers and containers.
For the first half of 2006, total U.S. rail carloads were up 127,712 carloads (1.5 percent) to 8,790,091 carloads, as year-over-year increases in coal (up 145,251 carloads, or 4.2 percent) and crushed stone, sand, and gravel (up 33,936 carloads, or 6.0 percent), among other categories, offset declines in nonmetallic minerals (down 44,322 carloads, or 22.6 percent) and chemicals (down 19,782 carloads, or 2.5 percent), among others.
U.S. intermodal traffic was up 363,702 trailers and containers (6.4 percent) for the first six months of 2006 to 6,029,759 units.
Total volume for the first six months of 2006 was estimated at 867 billion ton-miles, up 2.6 percent from the comparable period last year.
Canadian rail carload traffic was up 1,814 carloads (0.6 percent) in June 2006 to 298,156 carloads. In June, carload gains for grain (up 8,404 carloads, or 29.2 percent), metallic ores (up 2,465 carloads, or 6.6 percent), and farm products excluding grain (up 2,431 carloads, or 40.3 percent), among others, offset declines in carloads of coal (down 8,424 carloads, or 23.1 percent), chemicals (down 3,499 carloads, or 6.5 percent), and pulp and paper (down 2,368 carloads, or 10.6 percent), among others.
Canadian intermodal traffic was up 13,734 units (8.2 percent) in June 2006 compared with June 2005, to 181,582 units.
In the second quarter of 2006, Canadian carloadings were down 1.7 percent (17,138 carloads) to 978,382 carloads, while intermodal traffic was up 6.9 percent (38,676 units) to 596,371 trailers and containers. For the first half of 2006, Canadian carloadings were down 38,000 carloads (1.9 percent) to 1,940,046 carloads, while intermodal traffic was up 62,098 units (5.7 percent) to 1,158,050 units.
Carloads carried on Kansas City Southern dé Mexico (formerly Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana – TFM), a major Mexican railroad, were down 962 carloads (2.0 percent) in June 2006 to 46,308 carloads, while intermodal units carried totaled 17,383 units, down 788 units (4.3 percent). For the first half of 2006, KCSM carloads carried were down 5.3 percent (16,491 carloads), while intermodal units carried were down 6.6 percent (7,233 units).
For the week ended July 1, the AAR reported the following totals for U.S. railroads: 344,900 carloads, up 2.8 percent (9,260 carloads) from the corresponding week in 2005, with loadings down 3.0 percent in the East and up 7.4 percent in the West; intermodal volume of 241,853 trailers and containers, up 3.7 percent (8,576 units) from last year; and total volume of an estimated 33.9 billion ton-miles, up 3.7 percent from the corresponding week of last year.
For Canadian railroads during the week ended July 1, the AAR reported volume of 74,056 carloads, up 0.9 percent from last year; and 41,728 trailers and containers, up 1.2 percent from the corresponding week of 2005.
Combined cumulative rail volume for the first half of 2006 on 13 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 10,730,137 carloads, up 0.8 percent (89,712 carloads) from last year, and 7,187,809 trailers and containers, up 6.3 percent (425,800 units) from 2005.