(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on November 20.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Intermodal traffic on the nation’s railroads was once again up sharply during the week ended November 15 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal traffic totaled 209,246 trailers or containers, up 10.2 percent from the comparable week last year. Container traffic registered a 10.4 percent gain, while trailer volume rose 9.7 percent from last year. The nine busiest weeks in intermodal history for U.S. railroads have all occurred since over the past 10 weeks.
Carload freight, which does not include the intermodal data, totaled 343,466 cars, up 0.6 percent from last year with volume up 0.7 percent in the East and 0.4 percent in the West. Total volume was estimated at 31.1 billion ton-miles, up 3.0 percent from last year.
Fifteen of 19 carload commodity groups registered gains from last year, with coke up 36.1 percent; farm products other than grain up 16.4 percent; grain up 11.4 percent and crushed stone, gravel and sand up 10.5 percent Loadings of metallic ores were down 20.6 percent while coal volume was off 3.0 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 46 weeks of 2003: 15,035,158 carloads, down 0.1 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 8,823,119 trailers or containers, up 6.7 percent; and total volume of an estimated 1.33 trillion ton-miles, up 1.3 percent from last year’s first 46 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 freight were also reported up on Canada’s railroads during the week ended November 15. Carload volume totaled 69,240 cars, up 10.0 percent, while intermodal traffic totaled 43,854 trailers or containers, up 0.6 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 46 weeks of 2003 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,879,836 carloads, up 0.2 percent from last year, and 1,925,909 trailers and containers, up 6.5 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 46 weeks of 2003 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 17,914,994 carloads, down less than one-tenth of one percent from last year and 10,749,028 trailers and containers, up 6.7 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended November 15 totaled 8,241 cars, down 14.2 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,485 originated trailers or containers, down 14.8 percent from the 46th week of 2002. For the first 46 weeks of 2003, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 387,441 cars, down 2.3 percent from last year, and 159,582 trailers or containers, up 13.3 percent.