(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on August 17.)
WASHINGTON — Intermodal volume was up but carload freight was off slightly in comparison with the corresponding week last year during the week ended August 12, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal volume of 249,953 trailers or containers was up 6.6 percent from the comparable week last year. Container volume was up 9.2 percent while trailer volume was off 1.5 percent.
Carload freight totaled 336,568 cars, down 0.2 percent from last year, with loadings up 2.7 percent in the West but off 3.6 percent in the East.
Total volume was estimated at 33.9 billion ton-miles, up 1.5 percent from 2005.
Among individual carload commodities, coal loadings were up 5.4 percent from last year while metals were up 14.1 percent and petroleum products gained 6.3 percent. On the downside, primary forest products were down 19.6 percent, coke was off 18.9 percent and motor vehicles and equipment declined 13.0 percent. Overall, 14 of 19 commodity groups were down from a year ago.
Cumulative volume for the first 32 weeks of 2006 totaled 10,752,664 carloads, up 1.5 percent from 2005; 7,459,533 trailers or containers, up 6.4 percent; and total volume of an estimated 1.06 trillion ton-miles, up 2.7 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended August 12 carload traffic totaled 72,143 cars, down 2.7 percent from last year while intermodal volume of 44,708 trailers or containers was down 1.8 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 32 weeks of 2006 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,373,545 carloads, down 1.4 percent from last year, and 1,430,822 trailers and containers, up 5.9 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 32 weeks of 2006 on 13 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 13,126,209 carloads, up 0.9 percent from last year and 8,890,355 trailers and containers, up 6.3 percent from last year.
The AAR also said that during the week ended August 12 Mexican railroad Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) reported total carload volume of 11,476 cars, up 3.2 percent from last year. KCSM reported total intermodal volume of 4,255 trailers or containers, up 4.2 percent from the 32nd week of 2005.
For the first 32 weeks of 2006, KCSM reported total cumulative volume of 360,097 cars, down 5.2 percent from last year, and 124,008 trailers or containers, down 6.3 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.