(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on May 6.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Carload freight carried by U.S. railroads was at its highest level in more than five years during the week ended May 1, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Carload volume of 349,093 units was up 4.4 percent from last year and was the highest it has been since the 48th week of 1998, when volume totaled 349,399 cars. In all, thirteen of 19 carload commodity groups showed gains from last year.
Intermodal traffic totaled 210,892 trailers or containers, up 6.8 percent from last year. Trailer traffic was up 10.8 percent from the corresponding week last year and container volume rose 5.5 percent from last year.
Total volume was estimated at 31.8 billion ton-miles, up 6.4 percent from the corresponding week last year.
Commodities registering double digit gains from last year included coke, up 22.6 percent; farm products other than grain, up 19.1 percent; petroleum products, up 17.8 percent; waste and scrap materials, up 16.6 percent; grain, up 16.4 percent; and lumber and wood products, up 16.2 percent. Sharp decreases were reported in loadings primary forest products, off 16.0 percent, and metallic ores, down 9.0 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 17 weeks of 2004: 5,658,396 carloads, up 3.3 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 3,417,125 trailers or containers, up 7.9 percent; and total volume of an estimated 509.0 billion ton-miles, up 4.7 percent from last year’s first 17 weeks.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended May 1 carload traffic totaled 72,972 cars, up 10.1 percent from last year. Intermodal traffic totaled 45,492 trailers or containers, up 2.8 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 17 weeks of 2004 on the Canadian railroads totaled 1,148,196 carloads, up 7.1 percent from last year, and 689,418 trailers and containers, down 0.3 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 17 weeks of 2004 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 6,806,592 carloads, up 3.9 percent from last year and 4,106,543 trailers and containers, up 6.4 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended May 1 totaled 8,606 cars, up 8.3 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 2,293 originated trailers or containers, down 14.7 percent from the 17th week of 2003. For the first 17 weeks of 2004, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 142,174 cars, down 4.7 percent from last year, and 56,097 trailers or containers, down 8.2 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.