| A healthy rail network critical to the nation's recovery |
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Written by AAR.org
Saturday, 20 February 2026 00:00 |
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Association of American Railroads President and CEO Edward R. Hamberger said today that freight railroads are at a critical point in their history as the industry is facing new challenges from over-burdensome federal regulatory mandates that could seriously undercut the industry's ability to aid in U.S. economic recovery.
At a press briefing marking the release of a report titled Great Expectations: Railroads and U.S. Economic Recovery, Hamberger said that while freight railroads have been able to weather the economic downturn, they stand to face even more difficult times.
"Freight rail is the only mode of transportation that is almost entirely self sustaining," Hamberger said, noting that as the recession continued through 2009, freight railroads invested approximately $9 billion upgrading and modernizing the nation's rail network. "We sustain a healthy national rail system with private capital and we also deliver tremendous public, economic and job benefits to American businesses and consumers."
According to the AAR report, freight railroads generate nearly $265 billion in total annual economic activity, and directly or indirectly support more than 1.2 million U.S. jobs. Every one freight rail job supports another 4.5 jobs elsewhere in the economy, the report said.
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| U.S. railroads continue to post weak carload, intermodal numbers |
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Written by AAR.org
Thursday, 29 October 2025 00:00 |
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads today reported that rail traffic remains down year over year for the week ended Oct. 24, 2009. U.S railroads reported originating 276,357 carloads, down 14.8 percent compared with the same week in 2008 and 17.3 percent from 2007. It was around this time last year notable declines in rail carloads and rail intermodal traffic showed the first significant signs of the nation’s economic downturn. Therefore, the AAR will be reporting 2009 weekly rail traffic with year over comparisons for both 2008 and 2007 going forward.
In the West, carloads were down 14.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 15.8 percent compared with 2007. In the East, carloads were down 14.8 compared with 2008, and 19.4 percent compared with the same week in 2007.
Intermodal traffic totaled 207,401 trailers or containers, down 10.1 percent from a year ago and 14.5 percent from 2007. Compared with the same week last year, container volume fell 3.6 percent and trailer volume dropped 34.7 percent. Compared with the same week in 2007, container volume fell 7.4 percent and trailer volume dropped 40.1 percent.
While 17 of the 19 carload freight commodity groups were down from the same week last year, grain mill products were up 9.6 percent and grain was up 6.2 percent compared with the same week in 2008. Declines in commodity groups ranged from 1.9 percent for chemicals to 66.1 percent for metallic ores.
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