(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on October 16.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Intermodal traffic on the nation’s railroads continued to surge during the week ended October 11, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
The total of 207,806 trailers or containers was the third highest weekly total ever. The four highest weekly intermodal totals for U.S. railroads have all occurred over the past five weeks. In the most recent week, intermodal volume was up 37.5 percent from the comparable week last year when container traffic from West Coast ports was halted by a labor dispute.
Carload freight registered a 0.9 percent gain over last year, totaling 343,412 cars, with volume up 2.9 percent in the East but down 0.8 percent in the West. Total volume was estimated at 31.1 billion ton-miles, up 3.0 percent from last year.
Twelve of 19 carload commodity groups were up from last year, with coke registering a 51.3 percent gain; grain up 13.9 percent; and waste and scrap gaining 9.9 percent. Loadings of metallic ores were off 16.8 percent, and coal was down 2.2 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 41 weeks of 2003: 13,318,804 carloads, down 0.2 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 7,772,869 trailers or containers, up 6.7 percent; and total volume of an estimated 1.18 trillion ton-miles, up 1.0 percent from last year?s first 41 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 October 11 in comparison with last year. Intermodal traffic totaled 45,146 trailers and containers, up 4.3 percent from last year. Carload volume of 68,382 cars, was 6.5 percent above the comparable week last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 41 weeks of 2003 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,531,218 carloads, down 0.8 percent from last year, and 1,705,473 trailers and containers, up 7.1 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 41 weeks of 2003 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 15,850,022 carloads, down 0.3 percent from last year and 9,478,342 trailers and containers, up 6.8 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended October 11 totaled 8,524 cars, down 6.7 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,376 originated trailers or containers, down 11.6 percent from the 41st week of 2002. For the first 41 weeks of 2003, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 345,394 cars, down 1.4 percent from last year, and 142,388 trailers or containers, up 17.1 percent.