(The AAR issued the following press release on September 30.)
WASHINGTON — For the second consecutive week, the nation’s railroads have set a record for intermodal volume, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal volume of 231,025 trailers and containers during the week ended September 25 broke the record set the previous week by 1,986 units and was up 10.0 percent from the corresponding week last year. Container volume was up 11.6 percent from last year while trailer volume gained 5.4 percent.
Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, was impacted by the effects of Hurricane Ivan in the East and totaled 341,584 units, down 0.2 percent from last year. Carload volume was up 2.7 percent in the West but down 3.7 percent in the East. Total volume was estimated at 30.9 billion ton-miles, the same as last year.
Eight of 19 carload commodities were up from last year, with metallic ores up 21.6 percent; nonmetallic minerals up 9.4 percent and metals up 7.9 percent. Among commodities registering declines were farm products other than grain, off 40.9 percent; primary forest products, down 14.8 percent; coke, off 11.0 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 38 weeks of 2004: 12,740,286 carloads, up 3.1 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 7,916,788 trailers or containers, up 9.5 percent; and total volume of an estimated 1.151 trillion ton-miles, up 4.2 percent from last year’s first 38 weeks.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended September 25 carload traffic totaled 66,820 cars, down 2.0 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 45,087 trailers or containers, up 0.8 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 38 weeks of 2004 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,530,621 carloads, up 8.1 percent from last year, and 1,581,590 trailers and containers, up 0.1 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 38 weeks of 2004 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 15,270,907 carloads, up 3.9 percent from last year and 9,498,378 trailers and containers, up 7.9 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended September 25 totaled 8,821 cars, up 10.4 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 4,326 originated trailers or containers, up 21.1 percent from the 38th week of 2003. For the first 38 weeks of 2004, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 327,029 cars, up 1.8 percent from last year, and 139,260 trailers or containers, up 4.3 percent.
Railroads reporting to AAR account for 88 percent of U.S. carload freight and 95 percent of rail intermodal volume. When the U.S. operations of Canadian railroads are included, the figures increase to 95 percent and 100 percent. The Canadian railroads reporting to the AAR account for 90 percent of Canadian rail traffic. Railroads provide more than 40 percent of U.S. intercity freight transportation, more than any other mode, and rail traffic figures are regarded as an important economic indicator.
AAR is the world’s leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers.
This press release is available weekly via the Internet at www.aar.org.