(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on October 19.)
WASHINGTON — Carload traffic on U.S. freight railroads rose 4.5 percent during the week ending October 14 compared with the corresponding week last year, while intermodal traffic rose 0.4 percent, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Carload freight totaled 340,114 cars, with loadings up 8.1 percent in the West and up 0.3 percent in the East.
Intermodal volume was 250,693 trailers or containers, the ninth highest total for any week in history. The corresponding week in 2005 was, at the time, the highest week in history. Container volume rose 5.1 percent for the week while trailer volume declined by 12.9 percent.
Total volume was estimated at 35.0 billion ton-miles, up 6.7 percent from 2005.
Among individual carload commodities, coal rose 12.2 percent to 141,835 carloads, up 15,424 carloads from last year, while grain gained 15.1 percent (3,309 carloads) to 25,274 carloads. Carloads of coke rose 1,399 carloads (26.7 percent) to 6,631 carloads, while carloads of chemicals rose 4.3 percent (1,193 carloads) to 28,846 carloads.
On the downside, carloads of metallic ores fell 1,885 carloads (23.2 percent) to 6,227 carloads, while carloads of motor vehicles and equipment fell 1,762 carloads (7.6 percent) to 21,541 carloads.
All told, 10 of 19 commodity groups tracked by the AAR saw higher carloadings this week in 2006 than in 2005.
Cumulative volume for the first 41 weeks of 2006 totaled 13,813,153 carloads, up 1.5 percent from 2005; 9,705,062 trailers or containers, up 6.0 percent; and total volume of an estimated 1.37 trillion ton-miles, up 2.8 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads during the week ended October 14, carload traffic totaled 74,244 cars, down 2.2 percent from last year, while intermodal volume of 45,659 trailers or containers was up 3.4 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 41 weeks of 2006 on the Canadian railroads totaled 3,059,632 carloads, down 1.2 percent from last year, and 1,857,265 trailers and containers, up 5.7 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 41 weeks of 2006 on 13 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 16,872,785 carloads, up 1.0 percent from last year, and 11,562,327 trailers and containers, up 6.0 percent from last year.
The AAR also said that during the week ended October 14, Mexican railroad Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) reported total carload volume of 12,947 cars, up 10.1 percent from last year. KCSM reported total intermodal volume of 4,229 trailers or containers, up 3.8 percent from the same week in 2005.
For the first 41 weeks of 2006, KCSM reported total cumulative volume of 466,580 cars, down 3.5 percent from last year, and 163,959 trailers or containers, down 3.2 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.