(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on January 26.)
WASHINGTON — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was up sharply during the week ended January 21 in comparison with the corresponding week last year when traffic was adversely affected by heavy winter storms, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal volume on U.S. railroads totaled 231,350 trailers or containers, up 11.9 percent from last year, with container volume rising 13.8 percent and trailer volume up 6.1 percent.
Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 337,746 cars for the week, up 8.4 percent from the comparable week last year. Loadings were up 7.0 percent in the East and 9.5 percent in the West. Total volume was estimated at 33.0 billion ton-miles, up 10.0 percent from last year.
Sixteen of 19 commodity groups were up from last year, with farm products other than grain up 25.5 percent; crushed stone, gravel and sand up 22.5 percent; and coal up 12.3 percent. The three commodities showing drops from last year were metallic ores, off 23.7 percent; nonmetallic minerals, down 16.9 percent; and primary forest products, off 10.3 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first three weeks of 2006 totaled 988,376 carloads, up 3.9 percent from 2005; 663,913 trailers or containers, up 5.9 percent; and total volume of an estimated 94.4 billion ton-miles, up 5.7 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended January 21 carload traffic totaled 73,677 cars, up 7.2 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 42,024 trailers or containers, up 12.8 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first three weeks of 2006 on the Canadian railroads totaled 215,904 carloads, up 2.6 percent from last year, and 123,107 trailers and containers, up 6.6 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first three weeks of 2006 on 13 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 1,204,280 carloads, up 3.7 percent from last year and 787,020 trailers and containers, up 6.0 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 January21 totaled 6,981 cars, down 18.7 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 3,370 originated trailers or containers, down 20.0 percent from the third week of 2005.
For the first three weeks of 2006, KCSM reported cumulative originated volume of 22,408 cars, down 8.8 percent from last year, and 9,196 trailers or containers, down 9.9 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.