(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on January 19.)
WASHINGTON — Freight traffic on both U.S. and Canadian railroads registered strong gains the week ended January 14 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal volume on U.S. railroads totaled 239,712 trailers or containers, up 12.3 percent from last year, with container volume rising 14.8 percent and trailer volume up 5.2 percent.
Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 340,539 cars for the week in the U.S., up 4.4 percent from the comparable week last year. Loadings were up 2.1 percent in the East and 6.4 percent in the West. Total volume was estimated at 33.1 billion ton-miles, up 6.4 percent from last year.
Thirteen of 19 commodity groups were up from last year, with food and food products up 12.0 percent; grain mill products up 11.8 percent and grain up 9.1 percent. On the negative side, loadings of metallic ores were down 27.7 percent while loadings of farm products other than grain were off 25.9 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first two weeks of 2006 totaled 650,630 carloads, up 1.3 percent from 2005; 432,563 trailers or containers, up 3.0 percent; and total volume of an estimated 63.3 billion ton-miles, up 3.1 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended January 14 carload traffic totaled 76,670 cars, up 8.2 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 46,028 trailers or containers, up 11.0 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first two weeks of 2006 on the Canadian railroads totaled 142,227 carloads, up 0.7 percent from last year, and 81,083 trailers and containers, up 3.7 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first two weeks of 2006 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 792,857 carloads, up 1.2 percent from last year and 513,646 trailers and containers, up 3.1 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 January14 totaled 8,245 cars, up 5.2 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 3,677 originated trailers or containers, up 5.3 percent from the second week of 2005.
For the first two weeks of 2006, KCSM reported cumulative originated volume of 15,427 cars, down 3.5 percent from last year, and 5,826 trailers or containers, down 2.8 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.
AAR is the world’s leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers.