(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on August 28.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was relatively flat during the week ended August 23 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Carload volume totaled 337,089 units, down 0.8 percent from last year, with loadings up 3.1 percent in the West but down 5.3 percent in the East. Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 198,254 trailers or containers, up 0.5 percent from the comparable week last year. Total volume was estimated at 29.7 billion ton-miles, up 1.0 percent from last year.
Among the 11 commodity groups reporting gains in carload traffic compared to last year were coke, up 39.1 percent; nonmetallic minerals, up 8.1 percent; and grain, up 6.9 percent. Eight commodities showed, with metals and products down 16.7 percent; motor vehicles and equipment off 14.4 percent; and metallic ores down 9.8 percent. The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 34 weeks of 2003: 10,947,465 carloads, down 0.3 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 6,360,326 trailers or containers, up 5.5 percent; and total volume of an estimated 965.0 billion ton-miles, up 0.6 percent from last year’s first 34 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.
Both intermodal and carload volume were down during the week ended August 23 on Canadian railroads. Intermodal traffic totaled 32,337 trailers and containers, down 0.6 percent from last year. Carload volume of 63,038 cars, was off 4.4 percent from the comparable week last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 34 weeks of 2003 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,072,033 carloads, down 1.5 percent from last year, and 1,403,912 trailers and containers, up 8.4 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 34 weeks of 2003 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 13,019,498 carloads, down 0.5 percent from last year and 7,764,238 trailers and containers, up 6.0 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended August 23 totaled 7,889 cars, down 13.2 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,175 originated trailers or containers, down 10.8 percent from the 34th week of 2002. For the first 34 weeks of 2003, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 288,390 cars, up 1.0 percent from last year, and 119,051 trailers or containers, up 23.5 percent.