(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on May 15.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Intermodal freight was up but carload volume was down on U.S. railroads, during the week ended May 10 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal traffic totaled 196,125 trailers and containers, up 6.3 percent from the comparable week last year. Carload freight, which doesn t include the intermodal data, totaled 325,566 cars, down 0.8 percent from last year, with volume down 1.5 percent in the East and 0.2 percent in the West. Total volume was estimated at 28.2 billion ton-miles, down 0.7 percent from last year s nineteenth week.
Eight of nineteen commodities registered gains from last year, with coke up 93.0 percent; metallic ores gaining 22.3 percent; and pulp, paper and allied products rising 4.9 percent. Farm products other than grain were down16.7 percent; metals and products were off 10.1 percent; and loadings of motor vehicles and equipment declined by 7.7 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 19 weeks of 2003: 6,078,334 carloads, up 0.7 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 3,491,145 trailers and containers, up 7.5 percent; and total volume of an estimated 538.2 billion ton-miles, up 0.8 percent from last year s first 19 weeks.
Railroads reporting to AAR account for 90 percent of U.S. carload freight and 96 percent of rail intermodal volume. When the U.S. operations of Canadian railroads are included, the figures increase to 96 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 intermodal traffic but a decline in carload freight during the week ended May 10. Intermodal traffic totaled 44,519 trailers and containers, up 10.0 percent from last year. Carload volume was 63,037 cars, down 4.5 percent from the comparable week last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 19 weeks of 2003 on the Canadian railroads totaled 1,176,945 carloads, down 1.4 percent from last year, and 768,029 trailers and containers, up 10.5 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 19 weeks of 2003 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 7,255,279 carloads, up 0.3 percent from last year and 4,259,174 trailers and containers, up 8.0 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended May 10 totaled 8,461 cars, down 0.4 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 4,027 originated trailers or containers, up 52.6 percent from the 19th week of 2002. For the first 19 weeks of 2003, TFM reported cumulative volume of 164,245 cars, up 3.4 percent from last year, and 66,742 trailers or containers, up 40.0 percent.