(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on December 18.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Intermodal traffic on the nation’s railroads was once again up sharply during the week ended December 13 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal traffic totaled 209,735 trailers or containers, up 6.6 percent from the comparable week last year. Container traffic registered a 6.8 percent gain, while trailer volume rose 6.1 percent from last year.
Carload freight, which does not include the intermodal data, totaled 334,063 cars, down 0.8 percent from last year with volume up 1.5 percent in the East but down 2.7 percent in the West. Total volume was estimated at 30.3 billion ton-miles, up 1.3 percent from last year.
Thirteen of 19 carload commodity groups registered gains from last year, with coke up 42.5 percent; farm products other than grain up 18.4 percent; grain up 9.8 percent and crushed stone, gravel and sand up 19.3 percent. Loadings of metallic ores were down 31.8 percent while coal volume was off 4.5 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 50 weeks of 2003: 16,348,185 carloads, virtually the same as last year; intermodal volume of 9,609,425 trailers or containers, up 6.7 percent; and total volume of an estimated 1.45 trillion ton-miles, up 1.4 percent from last year?s first 50 weeks.
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. Railroads provide more than 40 percent of the nation?s intercity freight transportation, more than any other mode, and rail traffic figures are regarded as an important economic indicator.
Carload freight was up but intermodal volume down on Canada?s railroads during the week ended December 13. Carload volume totaled 67,889 cars, up 8.9 percent, with agricultural products registering a 53.4 percent gain. Intermodal traffic totaled 42,099 trailers or containers, down 8.8 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 50 weeks of 2003 on the Canadian railroads totaled 3,156,476 carloads, up 1.0 percent from last year, and 2,096,015 trailers and containers, up 5.6 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 50 weeks of 2003 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 19,504,661 carloads, up 0.2 percent from last year and 11,705,440 trailers and containers, up 6.5 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended December 13 totaled 8,538 cars, up 2.3 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,286 originated trailers or containers, down 2.8 percent from the 50th week of 2002. For the first 50 weeks of 2003, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 420,102 cars, down 2.9 percent from last year, and 173,029 trailers or containers, up 11.4 percent.