(The following press release was posted on the Association of American Railroads’ website on 12-27-02.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Intermodal traffic on U.S. railroads set an annual record during 2002, for the sixth time in the last seven years, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported.
Intermodal volume during the week ended December 21 totaled 184,430 trailers and containers, up 8.6 percent from the comparable 2001 week. 160; This brought the total for the first 51 weeks of 2001 to 9,228,856 trailers and containers, up 4.5 percent from last year. 160; It was also 0.6 percent above the 9,176,890 moved during the 52 weeks of 2000, when the previous annual record was set.
Carload traffic, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, was also up during the week, totaling 346,216 cars, 2.1 percent above the total for the comparable week last year. 160; Carload volume was up 4.0 percent in the West, but down 0.2 percent in the East. 160; Total volume was estimated at 29.9 billion ton-miles, up 0.7 percent from 2001.
Sharp increases in comparison with last year were reported in loadings of metallic ores, up 108.3 percent; coke, up 55.5 percent; farm products other than grain, up 24.3 percent; and metals, up 14.7 percent. 160; Eight of 19 carload commodity groups were down in comparison with last year, with primary forest products down 8.7 percent; crushed stone, gravel and sand off 7.9 percent; and coal down 3.1 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 51 weeks of 2002: 16,901,616 carloads, down 0.8 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 9,228,856 trailers and containers, up 4.5 percent; and total volume of an estimated 1.461 trillion ton-miles, up 0.4 percent from last year’s first 51 weeks.
Railroads reporting to AAR account for 90 percent of U.S. carload freight and 97 percent of rail intermodal volume. When the U.S. operations of Canadian railroads are included, the figures increase to 96 percent and 99 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.
Intermodal freight was up but carload traffic was down on Canadian railroads during the week ended December 21. Intermodal traffic totaled 44,314 trailers and containers, up 27.2 percent from last year. Carload volume of 59,031 cars was down 0.8 percent from the comparable week last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 51 weeks of 2002 on the Canadian railroads totaled 3,053,747 carloads, down 2.7 percent from last year, and 2,008,002 trailers and containers, up 11.8 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 51 weeks of 2002 on 16 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 19,955,363 carloads, down 1.1 percent from last year and 11,236,858 trailers and containers, up 5.7 percent from last year. 160; This year marks the first time that the combined U.S. and Canadian intermodal total has exceeded 11 million units.
The AAR also reported that carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended December 21 totaled 11,291 cars originated or received from connecting lines, down 5.5 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 2,958 trailers or containers, up 160; 27.1 percent from the 51st week of 2001. For the first 51 weeks of 2002, TFM reported cumulative volume of 542,676 cars, up 3.3 percent from last year, and 189,912 trailers or containers, up 10.7 percent.