AAR Reports Rail Traffic Remains Down
1 Oct 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
AAR Communications, 202-639-2100
Holly Arthur harthur@aar.org
Lauren Sandberg lsandberg@aar.org
AAR Reports Rail Traffic Remains Down
Data Shows Impact from Flooding In Tennessee, Georgia
WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 1, 2009 — The Association of American Railroads today reported 271,659 carloads for the week ending Sept. 26, 2009, down 17.1 percent compared with the same week in 2008. The traffic numbers were affected by severe flooding in Tennessee and Georgia which halted freight shipments in those areas from Sept. 21-23. Flooding also impacted the western freight carriers who operate through Atlanta. At this time, freight rail operations have returned to normal. Regionally, carloadings were down 15.5 percent in the West and 19.3 percent in the East.
Intermodal traffic of 205,627 trailers or containers on U.S. railroads was down 16.5 percent from the same week last year. Container volume fell 11 percent and trailer volume dropped 37.2 percent.
All of the 19 carload freight commodity groups were down from last year with declines ranging from 6 percent for chemicals to 38.5 percent for metals and products.
For the first 38 weeks of 2009, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 10,104,171 carloads, down 18.2 percent from 2008; 7,141,006 trailers or containers, down 16.8 percent, and total volume of an estimated 1.08 trillion ton-miles, down 17.3 percent. Total volume on U.S. railroads for the week ending September 26 was estimated at 28.8 billion ton-miles, off 17.2 percent from the same week last year.
Canadian railroads reported volume of 69,342 cars for the week, down 15.1 percent from last year, and 44,838 trailers or containers, down 13.8 percent. For the first 38 weeks of 2009, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,304,419 carloads, down 22.6 percent from last year, and 1,545,090 trailers or containers, down 16.3 percent.
Mexican railroads reported originated volume of 11,782 cars, down 8.9 percent from the same week last year, and 6,636 trailers or containers, down 13.9 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 38 weeks of 2009 was reported as 432,036 carloads, down 14 percent from last year; and 195,933 trailers or containers, down 18.9 percent.
Combined North American rail volume for the first 38 weeks of 2009 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 12,840,626 carloads, down 18.9 percent from last year, and 8,882,029 trailers and containers, down 16.8 percent from last year.
# # #
Editors’ Note: The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the world's leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers. AAR members include the major freight railroads, or Class I railroads, of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, as well as Amtrak. Class I railroads represent 67 percent of the U.S. freight rail mileage and 90 percent of freight railroad industry employees. Railroads account for 43 percent of intercity freight volume — more than any other mode of transportation. To learn more about how freight rail works for America, the environment and for you, please visit: www.freightrailworks.org.
Weekly Rail Traffic Charts