(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on May 4.)
WASHINGTON — Intermodal traffic on U.S. railroads was up, but carload volume was down during April compared to last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
U.S. railroads originated 1,354,749 carloads of freight in April 2006, down 13,086 carloads (1.0 percent) from April 2005. U.S. railroads also originated 945,511 intermodal units in April 2006, an increase of 60,226 trailers and containers (6.8 percent) over April 2005, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Six of the 19 major commodity categories tracked by the AAR saw U.S. carload increases in April 2006 compared to April 2005.
Commodities showing carload gains in April 2006 included coal (up 8,311 carloads, or 1.5 percent, to 553,227 carloads); metal products (up 3,565 carloads, or 6.4 percent, to 58,955 carloads); and grain (up 2,363 carloads, or 2.7 percent, to 90,636 carloads).
Commodities showing carload decreases in April 2006 included nonmetallic minerals (down 7,655 carloads, or 24.2 percent, to 23,990 carloads); motor vehicles and equipment (down 5,028 carloads, or 5.3 percent, to 89,914 carloads); and chemicals (down 3,208 carloads, or 2.6 percent, to 120,061 carloads).
For the first four months of 2006, total U.S. rail carloads were up 15,802 carloads (0.3 percent) to 5,692,250 carloads, as year-over-year increases in coal (up 38,451 carloads, or 1.7 percent) and crushed stone, sand, and gravel (up 21,776 carloads, or 6.1 percent), among other categories, offset declines in nonmetallic minerals (down 32,520 carloads, or 25.9 percent) and chemicals (down 14,148 carloads, or 2.7 percent), among others.
“Difficulties within the automotive industry have negatively affected rail traffic of motor vehicles and vehicle parts, and the sharp decline in nonmetallic mineral traffic in April and the year to date is largely a function of reduced international demand for phosphate rock for fertilizer,” noted AAR Vice President Craig F. Rockey. “With higher coal volumes in April, railroads are working hard to supply coal-fired power plants in anticipation of the summer cooling season. Railroads expect to haul more coal in 2006 than any previous year.”
U.S. intermodal traffic, which consists of trailers and containers on flat cars and is not included in carload figures, was up 213,403 trailers and containers (5.8 percent) for the first four months of 2006 to 3,879,942 units.
Total volume on U.S. railroads for the first 17 weeks of 2005 was estimated at 562.4 billion ton-miles, up 1.4 percent from the same period last year.
Canadian rail carload traffic was down 6,364 carloads (2.0 percent) in April 2006 to 304,223 carloads, and down 27,226 carloads (2.1 percent) for the year to date to 1,265,887 carloads. In April, carloads gains for metallic ores (up 4,576 carloads, or 14.1 percent); farm products excluding grain (up 2,939 carloads, or 39.0 percent); and grain (up 2,563 carloads, or 7.6 percent) were not enough to offset declines in carloads of coal (down 6,651 carloads, or 18.1 percent); chemicals (down 3,287 carloads, or 5.5 percent); and motor vehicles and equipment (down 3,160 carloads, or 10.5 percent), among others.
Canadian intermodal traffic was up 12,046 units (6.9 percent) in April 2006 compared with April 2005 to 186,802 units, and up 35,468 units (5.0 percent) for the first four months of 2006 to 748,481 units.
Carloads carried on Kansas City Southern dé Mexico (formerly Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana – TFM), a major Mexican railroad, were down 6,290 carloads (12.3 percent) in April 2006 to 44,893 carloads, while intermodal units carried totaled 13,801 units, down 4,319 units (23.8 percent). For the year-to-date, KCSM carloads carried were down 5.9 percent (12,074 carloads), while intermodal units carried were down 7.0 percent (4,814 units).
For just the week ended April 29, the AAR reported the following totals for U.S. railroads: 340,916 carloads, down 2.2 percent (7,578 carloads) from the corresponding week in 2005, with loadings down 2.9 percent in the East and down 1.6 percent in the West; intermodal volume of 248,515 trailers and containers, up 9.8 percent (22,262 units) from last year and the fourth highest weekly total ever; and total volume of an estimated 33.4 billion ton-miles, down 1.5 percent from the equivalent week last year.
For Canadian railroads during the week ended April 29, the AAR reported volume of 78,972 carloads, down 1.6 percent from last year; and 48,338 trailers and containers, up 6.8 percent from the corresponding week in 2005.
Combined cumulative rail volume for the first 17 weeks of 2006 on 13 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 6,958,137 carloads, down 0.2 percent (11,424 carloads) from last year, and 4,628,423 trailers and containers, up 5.7 percent (248,871 units) from 2005’s first 17 weeks.