(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on July 28.)
WASHINGTON — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was sluggish during the week ended July 23, with carload freight off slightly and intermodal volume up in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Carload freight for the week totaled 323,332 cars, down 1.2 percent from last year. Carload traffic was up 3.7 percent in the West but down 7.1 percent in the East.
Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 232,013 trailers or containers, up 4.9 percent from last year, with containers up 6.5 percent and trailer volume flat.
Total volume was estimated at 32.0 billion ton-miles, up 0.3 percent from last year.
Nine of 19 carload commodity groups were up from last year with grain mill products, up 11.4 percent; coke up 9.0 percent; and crushed stone, sand and gravel up 5.0 percent. Among commodities registering declines were metals, off 16.6 percent; nonmetallic minerals, off 12.5 percent; and primary forest products, down 11.1 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first 29 weeks of 2005 totaled 9,614,646 carloads, up 1.5 percent from 2004; 6,311,319 trailers or containers, up 6.1 percent; and total volume of an estimated 916.9 billion ton-miles, up 2.3 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended July 23 carload traffic totaled 71,853 cars, down 4.1 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 42,562 trailers or containers, up 2.8 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 29 weeks of 2005 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,198,476 carloads, down 0.5 percent from last year, and 1,222,495 trailers and containers, up 2.2 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 29 weeks of 2005 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 11,813,122 carloads, up 1.1 percent from last year and 7,533,814 trailers and containers, up 5.4 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended July 23 totaled 7,802 cars, down 8.2 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,597 originated trailers or containers, down 12.9 percent from the 29th week of 2004. For the first 29 weeks of 2005, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 248,147 cars, up 0.3 percent from last year, and 110,140 trailers or containers, up 6.5 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.