(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on February 23.)
WASHINGTON — Winter storms during the week ended February 18 were at least partly responsible for a drop in rail freight traffic in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Carload freight dropped 6.3 percent from a year earlier, totaling 321,728 cars, with volume down 6.0 percent in the East and 6.6 percent in the West.
Intermodal volume on U.S. railroads did register an increase for the week, totaling 228,443 trailers and containers, up 2.5 percent from last year. Container volume gained 3.9 percent while trailer traffic declined by 2.0 percent.
Total freight volume for the week was estimated at 31.8 billion ton-miles, down 5.4 percent from last year.
Thirteen of 19 commodity groups were down from last year, with nonmetallic minerals down 31.9 percent; coke off 19.8 percent; primary forest products down 11.8 percent; and coal off 8.2 percent. Among commodities showing increases were farm products other than grain, up 5.4 percent, and lumber and wood products, up 4.4 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first seven weeks of 2006 totaled 2,322,439 carloads, up 1.8 percent from 2005; 1,585,203 trailers or containers, up 5.5 percent; and total volume of an estimated 229.3 billion ton-miles, up 3.1 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended February 18 carload traffic totaled 74,165 cars, down 6.9 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 42,891 trailers or containers, up 1.9 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first seven weeks of 2006 on the Canadian railroads totaled 509,913 carloads, down 1.0 percent from last year, and 295,501 trailers and containers, up 3.9 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first seven weeks of 2006 on 13 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 2,832,352 carloads, up 1.3 percent from last year and 1,880,704 trailers and containers, up 5.2 percent from last year.
The AAR also said that Mexican railroad Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) reported total carload volume of 10,525 cars, down 11.2 percent from last year. KCSM reported total intermodal volume of 4,176 trailers or containers, down 0.8 percent from the seventh week of 2005.
For the first seven weeks of 2006, KCSM reported total cumulative volume of 77,895 cars, down 3.8 percent from last year, and 25,502 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.
AAR is the world’s leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers.