Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF UP YTD JAN 2016

Since both the BNSF and UP have large layoffs and significant amount of locomotives stored I thought I would pass along the YTD 2016 carload information indicating traffic levels thru Jan 2016 compared to Jan 2015 I have indicated the largest declines and increases

BNSF
                                    2016                   2015             change
Containers                 340000                  298000          +14%
Trailers                        42000                      46414          - 10%
TTL Intermodal            382000                 344000            +10%

Coal  -30%
Metallic Ores   -32%
Petroleum     -25%
Iron & Steel  -28%
Grain          +2%
Sand & Gravel -10%
Chemicals  +7%
Pulp and Paper +8 %

Total Carloads down 17%  

Union Pacific
                                              2016                                  2015             Change
Containers                            275000                              271000             +1%
Trailers                                   13000                               18000              -28%

Grain   -14%
Farm Product and other Grains   -38%
Coal  -34%
Sand Gravel      -28%
Coke +25%
Iron & Steel  -29%
Motor Vehicles  +16 %

TTL Carloads -14%

There is no clear definition of containers International or domestic they are all included

Dale Smith

                      

 

Looking the figures for both(some groups not comparble or missing) it is still difficult to see how UP is down only 14% vs BNSF's 17%.  Grain decrease alone on UP would have been significant.  Having the actual carload count would help explain.  More importantly would be the revenue.  As a retired Marketing/Sales type, I finally learned to count revnue and not so much cars!

Mexrail

Omaha World Herald this AM had a UP train heading out on a long trestle which was in the process of
collapsing. After all the doom and gloom and comparison with BNSF the comment was made that UP's
revenue was still very good with Lance's comment that coal was still a very profitable commodity.
Great press for the unwashed.

Out

From viewing trains thru Cheyenne, lumber and forest products still seem to be a significant product being shipped.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY