(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on June 23.)
WASHINGTON — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads rose slightly during the week ended June 18 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Carload freight totaled 333,264 cars, up 0.9 percent from last year. Carload traffic was up 0.6 percent in the East and 1.1 percent in the West.
Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 225,631 trailers or containers, up 2.4 percent from last year, with containers up 4.2 percent and trailers down 2.7 percent.
Total volume was estimated at 31.8 billion ton-miles, up 1.9 percent from last year.
Twelve of 19 carload commodities were up from last year, with metallic ores up 23.7 percent; grain mill products up 12.9 percent and farm products other than grain up 10.5 percent. Among the six commodities registering declines were grain, off 10.1 percent; waste & scrap materials, down 8.3 percent; and nonmetallic minerals, off 8.1 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first 24 weeks of 2005 totaled 8,015,993 carloads, up 1.7 percent from 2004; 5,205,646 trailers or containers, up 6.3 percent; and total volume of an estimated 761.2 billion ton-miles, up 2.5 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended June 18 carload traffic totaled 75,817 cars, down 1.8 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 42,403 trailers or containers, down 0.7 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 24 weeks of 2005 on the Canadian railroads totaled 1,840,250 carloads, up less than one-tenth of one percent from last year, and 1,013,778 trailers and containers, up 2.5 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 24 weeks of 2005 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 9,856,243 carloads, up 1.4 percent from last year and 6,219,424 trailers and containers, up 5.6 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended June 18 totaled 8,848 cars, up 6.1 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,781 originated trailers or containers, down 2.4 percent from the 24th week of 2004. For the first 24 weeks of 2005, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 207,669 cars, up 1.4 percent from last year, and 92,849 trailers or containers, up 8.0 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.