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The bad news: Freight-rail traffic was down yet again in June, with U.S. railroads originating 1.3 million carloads and 961,545 intermodal units, down 2.7 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively, compared with June 2006, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

The good news: Things are still looking good for the year’s second half.

“Rail volumes remained relatively soft in June, though they are up against some very strong comparisons from last year,” said AAR Vice President Craig Rockey in a prepared statement. “Most economists are fairly upbeat about economic growth in the second half of this year, and when the economy does pick up, we can except rail volumes to rise commensurately.”

While six of the 19 major commodity categories tracked by AAR posted carload increases in June compared with June 2006 (such as metallic ores, up 14.7 percent and chemicals, up 3.6 percent), crushed stone, sand and gravel carloads were down 9.6 percent; metals and metal products, 7 percent; grain, 6 percent; and coal, 1.6 percent.

For 2007’s first half, U.S. railroads originated 8.4 million carloads, down 4.1 percent, and 6 million trailers and containers, down 1.3 percent, compared with 2006’s first six months. Even so, U.S. railroads are on pace to post the second-highest intermodal traffic this year, behind 2006, according to AAR. Total estimated volume of 857.9 billion ton-miles was down 2.8 percent compared with the first 26 weeks of 2006.

Canadian railroads had a better June, originating 321,607 carloads, up 1.8 percent, and 187,915 trailers and containers, up 2.3 percent compared with June 2006. For the year’s first half, Canadian roads’ carloads were down 0.7 percent to 2 million and intermodal loads, up 1.6 percent to 1.2 million.

On a combined cumulative-volume basis through 26 weeks, reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads originated 10.4 million carloads, down 3.4 percent, and 7.1 million trailers and containers, down 0.8 percent compared with 2006’s first 26 weeks.

In Mexico, Kansas City Southern de México S.A. de C.V. carried 2 million carloads in June, down 4.2 percent, and 18,696 intermodal loads, up 7.6 percent compared with June 2006. During 2007’s first half, carloads were down 4.7 percent to 283,018 units and intermodal loads were up 10.4 percent to 112,506 units.