(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on September 14.)
WASHINGTON — Thanks to strong gains in intermodal, total rail freight traffic on U.S. railroads was up slightly during the week ended September 9 in comparison with last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today. Both this year’s week and last year’s included the Labor Day holiday.
Intermodal volume of 215,673 trailers or containers was up 5.3 percent from the comparable week last year with container volume up 9.0 percent while trailer volume was off 6.0 percent.
Carload freight totaled 323,043 cars, down 0.8 percent from last year, with loadings up 1.7 percent in the West but off 4.0 percent in the East.
Total volume was estimated at 32.6 billion ton-miles, up 0.9 percent from 2005.
Among individual carload commodities, coal loadings were up 3.7 percent from last year while grain was up 17.0 percent and metals were up 11.5 percent. On the downside, farm products other than grain were down 22.7 percent; nonmetallic minerals were off 22.0 percent; and primary forest products declined 18.5 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first 36 weeks of 2006 totaled 12,107,087 carloads, up 1.4 percent from 2005; 8,431,245 trailers or containers, up 6.4 percent; and total volume of an estimated 1.20 trillion ton-miles, up 2.7 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended September 9 carload traffic totaled 72,946 cars, down 3.0 percent from last year while intermodal volume of 42,499 trailers or containers was up 4.0 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 36 weeks of 2006 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,677,324 carloads, down 1.1 percent from last year, and 1,616,625 trailers and containers, up 5.9 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 36 weeks of 2006 on 13 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 14,784,411 carloads, up 1.0 percent from last year and 10,047,870 trailers and containers, up 6.3 percent from last year.
The AAR also said that during the week ended September 9 Mexican railroad Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) reported total carload volume of 12,412 cars, up 6.9 percent from last year. KCSM reported total intermodal volume of 4,967 trailers or containers, up 17.1 percent from the 36th week of 2005.
For the first 36 weeks of 2006, KCSM reported total cumulative volume of 406,676 cars, down 4.4 percent from last year, and 141,736 trailers or containers, down 4.8 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.