(The AAR issued the following weekly news release on April 29.)
WASHINGTON –Intermodal traffic on U.S. railroads set a weekly record during week ended April 24, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal traffic totaled 213,104 trailers or containers, up 13.6 percent from last year, and 0.9 percent above the previous record which was set during the week ended November 22, 2003. Trailer traffic was up 19.1 percent from the corresponding week last year and container volume rose 11.7 percent from last year.
Carload freight, which does not include the intermodal data, totaled 341,969 cars, up 3.7 percent from last year, with volume up 5.2 percent in the East and 2.4 percent in the West. Total volume was estimated at 31.2 billion ton-miles, up 5.8 percent from last year.
Thirteen of 19 carload commodity groups were up from last year, with coke up 33.6 percent; grain up 20.9 percent; motor vehicles and equipment up 16.3 percent and waste and scrap materials up 11.6 percent. Loadings of metallic ores declined 21.0 percent from last year and farm products other than grain were off 9.0 percent.
“The fact that an intermodal volume record was set this early in the year is significant,” said Craig Rockey, AAR’s vice president for policy and economics. “Normally intermodal doesn’t peak until late in the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter. That we’re reaching these levels now indicates that the economy is gathering strength and that railroads are providing their intermodal customers with attractive service and rate combinations.”
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 16 weeks of 2004: 5,309,651 carloads, up 3.2 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 3,206,233 trailers or containers, up 7.9 percent; and total volume of an estimated 477.2 billion ton-miles, up 4.6 percent from last year’s first 16 weeks.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended April 24 carload traffic totaled 72,940 cars, up 10.2 percent from last year. Intermodal traffic totaled 42,189 trailers or containers, down 0.9 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 16 weeks of 2004 on the Canadian railroads totaled 1,075,224 carloads, up 6.9 percent from last year, and 643,926 trailers and containers, down 0.5 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 16 weeks of 2004 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 6,384,875 carloads, up 3.8 percent from last year and 3,850,159 trailers and containers, up 6.4 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended April 24 totaled 8,639 cars, up 25.3 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 2,264 originated trailers or containers, down 28.9 percent from the 16th week of 2003. For the first 16 weeks of 2004, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 133,568 cars, down 5.4 percent from last year, and 53,804 trailers or containers, down 7.9 percent.
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. The Canadian railroads reporting to the AAR account for 90 percent of Canadian rail traffic. Railroads provide more than 40 percent of U.S. intercity freight transportation, more than any other mode, and rail traffic figures are regarded as an important economic indicator.