(The Association of American Railroads posted the following news release on its website on February 19.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In spite of a small decline in carload freight, overall freight traffic on U.S. railroads was up during the week ended February 14 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Total volume for the week was estimated at 29.0 billion ton-miles, up 1.4 percent from last year. Intermodal traffic continued to show strength with volume totaling 198,844 trailers or containers, up 6.1 percent from the comparable week last year. Container traffic registered a 2.3 percent gain, while trailer volume rose 17.6 percent from last year.
Carload freight, which does not include the intermodal data, totaled 322,915 cars, down 0.3 percent from last year with volume up 0.1 percent in the East but down 0.6 percent in the West.
Ten of the19 carload commodity groups were up compared with last year, with coke up 51.1 percent; nonmetallic minerals up 14.4 percent; and waste and scrap materials gaining 9.3 percent. On the down side, loadings of metallic ores were off 23.4 percent; farm products other than grain were down 13.2 percent; and motor vehicles and equipment declined 4.2 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first six weeks of 2004: 1,936,032 carloads, up 0.9 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 1,179,556 trailers or containers, up 5.8 percent; and total volume of an estimated 173.0 billion ton-miles, up 2.1 percent from last year’s first six 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 reported gains in both intermodal and carload freight during the week ended February 14. Carload volume totaled 66,385 cars, up 7.6 percent. Intermodal traffic totaled 40,926 trailers or containers, up 6.1 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first six weeks of 2004 on the Canadian railroads totaled 376,897 carloads, up 2.4 percent from last year, and 237,381 trailers and containers, down 0.1 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first six weeks of 2004 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 2,312,929 carloads, up 1.2 percent from last year and 1,416,937 trailers and containers, up 4.8 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended February 14 totaled 7,942 cars, down 16.7 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,603 originated trailers or containers, down 4.8 percent from the sixth week of 2003. For the first six weeks of 2004, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 47,364 cars, down 9.9 percent from last year, and 18,528 trailers or containers, down 16.2 percent.