(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on October 9.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Intermodal traffic on the nation’s railroads reached its second highest weekly total ever during the week ended October 4, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
The total of 209,757 trailers or containers was just 342 less than was carried the previous week when the current record was set. Intermodal volume was 57.1 percent ahead of the comparable week last year when container traffic from West Coast ports was halted by a labor dispute.
Carload freight registered a 1.2 percent gain over last year, totaling 341,960 cars, with volume up 3.6 percent in the East but down 0.7 percent in the West. Total volume was estimated at 30.9 billion ton-miles, up 3.7 percent from last year.
Thirteen of 19 carload commodity groups were up from last year, with coke registering a 36.0 percent gain; farm products other than grain up 20.0 percent; waste and scrap rising 11.2 percent; and primary forest products up 10.0 percent. Loadings of metallic ores were off 19.4 percent .
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 40 weeks of 2003: 12,976,478 carloads, down 0.2 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 7,565,063 trailers or containers, up 6.0 percent; and total volume of an estimated 1.15 trillion ton-miles, up 0.9 percent from last year’s first 40 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 4 in comparison with last year. Intermodal traffic totaled 45,149 trailers and containers, up 3.7 percent from last year. Carload volume of 68,702 cars, was 6.1 percent above the comparable week last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 40 weeks of 2003 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,462,836 carloads, down 1.0 percent from last year, and 1,660,327 trailers and containers, up 7.2 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 40 weeks of 2003 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 15,439,314 carloads, down 0.4 percent from last year and 9,225,390 trailers and containers, up 6.2 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 4 totaled 8,418 cars, down 5.5 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,633 originated trailers or containers, down 2.9 percent from the 40th week of 2002. For the first 40 weeks of 2003, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 336,870 cars, down 1.2 percent from last year, and 139,012 trailers or containers, up 18.0 percent.