WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. intermodal rail traffic rose 9.4 percent (77,893 units) while rail carload traffic fell 1.8 percent (31,092 carloads) in May 2002 compared to May 2001, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on its website.
Intermodal rail traffic — which accounts for approximately 20 percent of revenue for U.S. Class I railroads, second only to coal — consists of trailers and containers on flat cars and is not included in carload figures.
In May 2002, carloads of chemicals were up 4.8 percent (6,672 carloads), carloads of nonmetallic minerals were up 13.9 percent (4,587 carloads), and carloads of crushed stone and gravel were up 3.4 percent (3,588 carloads) compared with May 2001. Grain carloadings were up 3.1 percent (2,788 carloads). On the down side, coal carloadings were down 6.4 percent (43,276 carloads) in May, and carloads of coke (used in steelmaking) were down 22.3 percent (4,582 carloads). U.S. carloadings excluding coal were up 1.2 percent (12,184 carloads), and 10 of the 19 major commodity categories tracked by the AAR saw year-over-year gains in May 2002 compared with May 2001.
“May intermodal traffic volumes represent the strongrest year-over-year gain “(9.4 percent) in almost five years,” noted AAR Vice President Craig F. Rockey. “This increase is a function of the innovative, high quality service U.S. railroads are providing, is an indication of the productive alliances railroads have fostered with truck and maritime interests, and means less congestion on our highways.”
For the first five months of 2002, U.S. rail carloadings totaled 7,096,701 cars, down 3.1 percent (229,601 carloads), mainly because coal carloadings have been consistently lower so far this year. Through May, year-to-date carloads of coal were down 5.4 percent (163,313 carloads). Carloads of metallic ores were down 12.2 percent (35,254 carloads) through May, while carloads of coke were down 21.0 percent (19,580 carloads). On the positive side, year-to-date carloads of motor vehicles and equipment were up 4.3 percent (22,341 carloads) and carloads of crushed stone and gravel were up 3.9 percent (15,623 carloads). Year-to-date intermodal traffic totaled 3,794,941 trailers and containers, up 3.3 percent (119,725 trailers and containers). Total volume was estimated at 611.1 billion ton-miles, down 1.9 percent from last year.
Canadian intermodal traffic was up 11.9 percent (20,743 units) in May 2002, while Canadian rail carload traffic was down 0.2 percent (622 carloads). Canadian carloadings were paced by chemicals (up 8.6 percent, or 5,373 carloads), motor vehicles and equipment (up 9.6 percent, or 3,625 carloads), and nonmetallic minerals (up 14.4 percent, or 1,125 carloads). Canadian carloadings of grain were down 14.6 percent (6,666 carloads), while carloads of farm products excluding grain were down 19.9 percent (1,461 carloads). Canadian coal carloadings in May 2002 were down 1.8 percent, or 888 carloads.
For the first five months of 2002, Canadian carload traffic totaled 1,340,021 cars, down 3.1 percent (42,818 carloads), due mainly to declines in grain (down 16.8 percent, or 34,439 carloads), coal (down 10.8 percent, or 22,368 carloads), and farm products excluding grain (down 45.5 percent, or 21,372 carloads). Canadian intermodal traffic through the first five months of 2002 totaled 803,066 trailers and containers, up 5.8 percent (43,892 units).
Carloads originated on Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM), a major Mexican railroad, were down 14.5 percent (5,210 carloads) in May, while intermodal originations were up 28.9 percent (3,435 trailers and containers). For the first five months of 2002, TFM carloadings were down 0.6 percent (950 carloads), while intermodal traffic rose 17.1 percent (8,219 units).
For just the week ended June 1, which included the Memorial Day holiday, the AAR reported the following totals for U.S. railroads: 315,801 carloads, down 0.4 percent from the corresponding week in 2001, with loadings up 1.1 percent in the East and down 1.5 percent in the West; intermodal volume of 163,944 trailers and containers, up 9.4 percent; and total volume of an estimated 26.1 billion ton-miles, down 1.1 percent from the equivalent week last year.
For Canadian railroads during the week ended June 1, the AAR reported volume of 59,860 carloads, down 0.1 percent from last year; and 36,520 trailers and containers, up 6.0 percent from the corresponding week in 2001.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 22 weeks of 2002 on 16 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 8,436,722 carloads, down 3.1 percent (272,419 carloads) from last year; and 4,598,009 trailers and containers, up 3.7 percent (163,617 units) from 2001’s first 22 weeks.