AAR Reports Rail Traffic Remains Down, Intermodal Seeing Incremental Gains
11 Nov 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
AAR Communications, 202-639-2100
Holly Arthur harthur@aar.org
AAR Reports Rail Traffic Remains Down, Intermodal Seeing Incremental Gains
Monthly Rail Time Indicators Report, Video Summary Available Online
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nov. 11, 2009 – The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported that freight rail carloadings were down 15.3 percent in October 2009 (at 1,100,714 carloads) compared with the same month last year, marking the twelfth straight month of double-digit declines.
A decrease in coal carloads (down 92,764 carloads) factored into October’s drop in carloadings, which likely was the result of a cooler-than-normal summer that has led to larger-than-normal utility coal stockpiles. However, grain saw a significant boost in October, up 15 percent compared with September. This may be attributable to the start of corn and soybean harvests plus a weaker U.S. dollar lifting grain exports. According to the USDA, grain deliveries by rail to ports surged in October.
While U.S. rail intermodal traffic remained down 11.2 percent (104,330 units) in October compared with the same month last year, there continue to be incremental month-to-month gains – up 4 percent from September 2009.
“October’s intermodal numbers, along with the recently-announced increase in GDP for the third quarter, indicate that we are seeing some hope for improvement in the nation’s economic situation,” said AAR Senior Vice President of Policy and Economics John Gray. “While it is still too early to say we are on the road to recovery, railroads continue to take freight cars out of storage with over 11,000 cars back in service in October.”
The Rail Time Indicators report, available at www.aar.orgcomprises monthly rail traffic data framed with other key economic indicators to show how freight rail ties into the broader U.S. economy. Both the monthly Rail Time Indicators report and a video summary are available on the AAR web site: www.aar.org. A widget social-media tool, containing the video and link to the report also is available, which allows users to share the material by uploading it to Web sites, blogs, or online network profiles. This widget is a mini-Web application that also includes a contact form and a place to ask questions.
To download the widget, click here or go to http://www.aar.org/NewsAndEvents/Widget/2009-0820-MonthlyTraffic.aspx.
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.