Cumulative U.S. volumes for carload traffic during the first 42 weeks of the year were up 1.4%with declines in nine specific commodity groups. Nonmetallic Minerals (-18.2%), Primary Forest Products (-13.8%), Metallic Ores (-7.5%), Motor Vehicles & Equipment (-4.8%) and Coke (-4.3%) were those showing the greatest decline.

Total volume for traffic during the period was 14,152,678 carloads and 9,958,449 combined trailer and container intermodal units. Some 1.408.6 billion ton-miles for both carload and intermodal has been carried in 2006 compared to 1,371.2 Billion ton-miles in 2005, a gain of 2.7%.

In intermodal operations, for the year trailer volumes are down 1.2% while container traffic has had a healthy boost of 8.3%. The Mexican railroad, Kansas City Southern de Mexico has experienced a cumulative decline year over year of 3.5%in carload traffic and a combined trailer and container decline of 3.2% for the period.

Canadian railroads carried 3,136,686 carloads, down 1.2% year over year and 1,906,506 intermodal trailers and containers, a climb of 5.6% over the same period in 2005. Combined U.S. and Canadian volumes for 2006 through the first 42 weeks is 17,289,364 carloads, up 0.9%, and 11,864,955 trailers and containers, up 5.9%.

The AAR notes that railroads reporting to it carry 87% of U.S. carload freight and 96% of rail intermodal. Combining U.S. and Canadian figures the cumulative numbers are 96% of carload freight and 100% of trailer and container intermodal.