WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. freight railroads reported increased freight traffic during the week ended July 6, comparison with the comparable week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) said on July 11.
Carload freight totaled 280,842 cars, up 4.2 percent from last year, with loadings up 4.5 percent in the West and 3.8 percent in the East. Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 147,979 trailers and containers, up 5.0 percent from last year. Total volume was estimated at 23.8 billion ton-miles, up 3.0 percent. Both the most recent week and the comparison week from last year included the Fourth of July holiday.
Double digit increases were reported in loading of metallic ores, up 64.8 percent from the comparable 2001 week; farm products other than grain, up 43.1 percent; and lumber and wood products, up 11.7 percent. Eight out of 19 commodity groups registered declines from last year, with coke down 20.5 percent; crushed stone, gravel and sand off 14.2 percent; and stone, clay and glass products down 8.6 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 27 weeks of 2002: 8,748,639 carloads, down 2.1 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 4,706,651 trailers and containers, up 4.1 percent; and total volume of an estimated 749.1 billion ton-miles, down 1.2 percent from last year’s first 27 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 6. Intermodal traffic totaled 34,000 trailers and containers, up 12.8 percent from last year. Carload volume was 46,850 cars, down 10.4 percent from the comparable week last year. Traffic in both the current week and the 2001 week was affected by the July 1 Canada Day holiday.
Cumulative originations for the first 27 weeks of 2002 on the Canadian railroads totaled 1,623,347 carloads, down 3.2 percent from last year, and 998,882 trailers and containers, up 7.2 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 27 weeks of 2002 on 16 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 10,371,986 carloads, down 2.3 percent from last year and 5,705,533 trailers and containers, up 7.2 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended July 6 totaled 10,579 cars originated or received from connecting lines, up 5.2 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,923 trailers or containers, up 11.4 percent from the 27th week of 2001. For the first 27 weeks of 2002, TFM reported cumulative volume of 281,185 cars, down 2.0 percent from last year, and 98,195 trailers or containers, up 5.9 percent.