(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on June 8.)
WASHINGTON — With sharp increases in coal traffic leading the way, U.S. railroads reported solid gains in freight volume during May in comparison with the same month last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
“Average weekly coal carloadings on U.S. railroads in May 2006 were higher than in any month in history, and average weekly U.S. coal carloadings in January, February, March, and April 2006 were all among the top months in history too,” noted AAR Vice President Craig F. Rockey. “The huge investments railroads are making in their coal franchises will help ensure continued reliable, cost-effective coal-fired electricity generation in the years ahead.”
Overall, U.S. railroads originated 1,716,182 carloads of freight in May 2006, up 65,031 carloads (3.9 percent) from May 2005. U.S. railroads also originated 1,167,578 intermodal units in May 2006, an increase of 79,431 trailers and containers (7.3 percent) over May 2005, the AAR said.
Commodities showing carload gains in May 2006 included coal (up 65,774 carloads, or 10.2 percent, to 710,781 carloads); metal products (up 8,556 carloads, or 13.5 percent, to 71,982 carloads); and crushed stone, sand, and gravel (up 8,076 carloads, or 6.9 percent, to 125,610 carloads). Carloads of grain were up 2,183 carloads (2.1 percent) to 106,200 carloads.
Commodities showing carload declines in May 2006 included nonmetallic minerals (down 5,660 carloads, or 14.6 percent, to 33,081 carloads); motor vehicles and equipment (down 3,126 carloads, or 2.6 percent, to 114,961 carloads); and primary forest products (down 2,972 carloads, or 18.2 percent, to 13,396 carloads). Carloads of chemicals were down 2,076 carloads (1.4 percent) to 148,943 carloads.
Seven of the 19 major commodity categories tracked by the AAR saw U.S. carload increases in May 2006 compared to May 2005.
For the first five months of 2006, total U.S. rail carloads were up 80,545 carloads (1.1 percent) to 7,408,144 carloads, as year-over-year increases in coal (up 104,225 carloads, or 3.5 percent) and crushed stone, sand, and gravel (up 29,852 carloads, or 6.3 percent), among other categories, offset declines in nonmetallic minerals (down 38,180 carloads, or 23.3 percent) and chemicals (down 16,224 carloads, or 2.4 percent), among others.
U.S. intermodal traffic, which consists of trailers and containers on flat cars and is not included in carload figures, was up 295,572 trailers and containers (6.2 percent) for the first five months of 2006 to 5,050,258 units.
Total volume for the first 22 weeks of 2006 was estimated at 731.0 billion ton-miles, up 2.3 percent from the same period last year.
Canadian rail carload traffic was down 12,588 carloads (3.2 percent) in May 2006 to 376,003 carloads, and down 39,814 carloads (2.4 percent) for the year to date to 1,641,890 carloads. In May, carload gains for grain (up 4,110 carloads, or 10.4 percent); farm products excluding grain (up 3,722 carloads, or 46.0 percent); and metallic ores (up 3,645 carloads, or 7.6 percent), among others, were not enough to offset declines in carloads of chemicals (down 10,058 carloads, or 13.6 percent); coal (down 8,769 carloads, or 18.4 percent); and pulp and paper (down 3,341 carloads, or 11.9 percent), among others.
Canadian intermodal traffic was up 12,896 units (6.0 percent) in May 2006 compared with May 2005 to 227,987 units, and up 48,364 units (5.2 percent) for the first five months of 2006 to 976,468 units.
Carloads carried on Kansas City Southern dé Mexico (formerly Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana – TFM), a major Mexican railroad, were down 3,455 carloads (5.6 percent) in May 2006 to 57,910 carloads, while intermodal units carried totaled 21,011 units, down 1,631 units (7.2 percent). For the year-to-date, KCSM carloads carried were down 5.8 percent (15,529 carloads), while intermodal units carried were down 7.1 percent (6,445 units).
For just the week ended June 3, the AAR reported the following totals for U.S. railroads: 323,957 carloads, up 3.4 percent (10,721 carloads) from the corresponding week in 2005, with loadings flat in the East and up 6.1 percent in the West; intermodal volume of 206,991 trailers and containers, up 6.3 percent (12,228 units) from last year; and total volume of an estimated 31.8 billion ton-miles, up 4.3 percent from the equivalent week last year.
For Canadian railroads during the week ended June 3, the AAR reported volume of 73,436 carloads, down 0.4 percent from last year; and 46,512 trailers and containers, up 11.2 percent from the corresponding week in 2005.
Combined cumulative rail volume for the first 22 weeks of 2006 on 13 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 9,050,034 carloads, up 0.5 percent (40,731 carloads) from last year, and 6,026,726 trailers and containers, up 6.1 percent (343,936 units) from 2005’s first 22 weeks.