(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on January 22.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads registered a solid gain during the week ended January 17 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal traffic totaled 199,452 trailers or containers, up 6.9 percent from the comparable week last year. Container traffic registered a 5.1 percent gain, while trailer volume rose 12.6 percent from last year.
Carload freight, which does not include the intermodal data, totaled 338,862 cars, up 5.0 percent from last year with volume up 5.4 percent in the East and 4.7 percent in the West. Total volume was estimated at 30.2 billion ton-miles, up 6.3 percent from last year.
Twelve of 19 carload commodity groups were up in comparison with last year, nonmetallic minerals up 28.0 percent; coke up 20.1 percent; waste and scrap materials up 16.2 percent; grain up 12.4 percent; and coal up 6.7 percent. Loadings of farm products other than grain were off 19.6 percent while motor vehicles and equipment were down 6.7 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first two weeks of 2004: 656,848 carloads, up 0.9 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 388,174 trailers or containers, up 4.0 percent; and total volume of an estimated 58.4 billion ton-miles, up 2.1 percent from last year?s first two 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.
Canadian railroads also reported gains in both carload and intermodal freight during the week ended January 17. Carload volume totaled 64,180 cars, up 5.8 percent, with agricultural products registering a 35.6 percent gain. Intermodal traffic totaled 39,250 trailers or containers, up 4.3 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first two weeks of 2004 on the Canadian railroads totaled 127,467 carloads, up 4.1 percent from last year, and 79,204 trailers and containers, 0.4 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first two weeks of 2004 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 784,315 carloads, up 1.4 percent from last year and 467,378 trailers and containers, up 3.4 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended January 17 totaled 8,403 cars, down 6.4 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,263 originated trailers or containers, down 18.1 percent from the second week of 2004. For the first two weeks of 2004, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 16,125 cars, down 9.6 percent from last year, and 5,566 trailers or containers, down 22.7 percent.