(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on May 19.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was off slightly during the week ended May 14 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Total volume of an estimated 31.8 billion ton-miles was 1.2 percent below the comparable week last year. Carload freight totaled 341,509 cars, down 1.7 percent with loadings off 2.5 percent in the West and 0.7 percent in the East. At least part of the carloading decline was attributed to an accident that disrupted some coal traffic out of the Powder River Basin.
Intermodal volume increased by 6.3 percent from last year. totaling 223,581 trailers or containers. Container volume was up 9.1 percent while trailer traffic was down 1.4 percent.
Eight of 19 carload commodities were up from last year, with coke gaining 23.5 percent; farm products other than grain up 10.8 percent; and crushed stone, sand and gravel rising 11.5 percent. Loadings of nonmetallic minerals were off 11.5 percent while coal was down 5.5 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first 19 weeks of 2005 totaled 6,491,776 carloads, up 2.4 percent from 2004; 4,112,794 trailers or containers, up 7.2 percent; and total volume of an estimated 604.1 billion ton-miles, up 3.2 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended May 14 carload traffic totaled 70,985 cars, down 0.9 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 43,721 trailers or containers, down 0.5 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 19 weeks of 2005 on the Canadian railroads totaled 1,335,047 carloads, up 0.4 percent from last year, and 800,771 trailers and containers, up 3.3 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 19 weeks of 2005 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 7,826,823 carloads, up 2.0 percent from last year and 4,913,565 trailers and containers, up 6.5 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended May 14 totaled 8,321 cars, down 11.2 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,630 originated trailers or containers, up 2.3 percent from the19th week of 2004. For the first 19 weeks of 2005, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 164,227 cars, up 2.4 percent from last year, and 72,209 trailers or containers, up 9.4 percent.
Railroads reporting to AAR account for 88 percent of U.S. carload freight and 95 percent of rail intermodal volume. When the U.S. operations of Canadian railroads are included, the figures increase to 95 percent and 100 percent. The Canadian railroads reporting to the AAR account for 90 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.