WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was up during the week ended July 13, in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on its website.
Carload freight totaled 322,782 cars, up 3.9 percent from last year, with loadings up 4.7 percent in the West and 2.8 percent in the East. Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 184,394 trailers and containers, up 8.3 percent from last year. Total volume was estimated at 27.8 billion ton-miles, up 4.1 percent. Sharp increases were reported in loading of metallic ores, up 39.3 percent from the comparable 2001 week; farm products other than grain, up 30.5 percent; nonmetallic minerals, up 19.2 percent, and motor vehicles and equipment, up 10.1 percent. Seven out of 19 commodity groups registered declines from last year, with primary forest products off 8.2 percent and crushed stone, sand and gravel down 7.2 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 28 weeks of 2002: 9,071,421 carloads, down 1.9 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 4,891,045 trailers and containers, up 4.3 percent; and total volume of an estimated 776.9 billion ton-miles, down 1.0 percent from last year’s first 28 weeks.
Railroads reporting to AAR account for 90 percent of U.S. carload freight and 97 percent of rail intermodal volume. When the U.S. operations of Canadian railroads are included, the figures increase to 96 percent and 99 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.
Intermodal traffic was up but carload volume was down on Canadian railroads during the week ended July 13. Intermodal traffic totaled 40,900 trailers and containers, up 18.5 percent from last year. Carload volume of 52,052 cars was down 6.5 percent from the comparable week last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 28 weeks of 2002 on the Canadian railroads totaled 1,675,399 carloads, down 3.3 percent from last year, and 1,039,782 trailers and containers, up 7.6 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 28 weeks of 2002 on 16 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 10,746,820 carloads, down 2.1 percent from last year and 5,930,827 trailers and containers, up 4.9 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended July 13 totaled 10,328 cars originated or received from connecting lines, up 0.7 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,626 trailers or containers, up 22.8 percent from the 28th week of 2001. For the first 28 weeks of 2002, TFM reported cumulative volume of 291,513 cars, down 1.9 percent from last year, and 101,821 trailers or containers, up 6.4 percent.