(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on March 17.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads registered its seventh consecutive weekly increase during the week ended March 12 in comparison with the corresponding week a year ago, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal volume for the week totaled 205,770 trailers and containers, up 3.1 percent from a year ago, with containers up 2.9 percent and trailers gaining 3.6 percent.
Carload freight totaled 346,435 units during the week, up 3.7 percent from a year ago with loadings up 5.7 percent in the West and 1.2 percent in the East. Total volume was estimated at 32.2 billion ton-miles, up 4.2 percent from 2004.
Twelve of 19 carload commodities were up from last year, with coal up 8.6 percent; metals up 8.4 percent; and farm products other than grain up 12.8 percent. Commodities registering declines included waste and scrap, down 7.0 percent; motor vehicles, down 5.6 percent; and primary forest products, off 5.1 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first ten weeks of 2005 totaled 3,362,713 carloads, up 2.8 percent from 2004; 2,145,405 trailers or containers, up 9.5 percent; and total volume of an estimated 312.2 billion ton-miles, up 3.7 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended March 12 carload traffic totaled 67,075 cars, down 2.6 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 41,993 trailers or containers, up 9.8 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first ten weeks of 2005 on the Canadian railroads totaled 659,304 carloads, up 2.6 percent from last year, and 411,637 trailers and containers, up 6.4 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first ten weeks of 2005 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 4,022,017 carloads, up 2.7 percent from last year and 2,557,042 trailers and containers, up 9.0 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended March 12 totaled 8,566 cars, down 5.0 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,696 originated trailers or containers, down 1.6 percent from the tenth week of 2004. For the first ten weeks of 2005, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 86,571 cars, up 6.4 percent from last year, and 38,588 trailers or containers, up 14.0 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.