(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on May 29.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Intermodal traffic was up while carload freight was down slightly on U.S. railroads during the week ended May 24 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal traffic totaled 190,749 trailers and containers, up 4.7 percent from the comparable week last year. Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 330,813 cars, down 1.8 percent from last year, with volume down 2.0 percent in the East and 1.6 percent in the West. Total volume was estimated at 29.1 billion ton-miles, down 0.3 percent from last year’s 21st week.
Increases were reported in loadings of coke, up 28.5 percent from last year; pulp, paper and allied products, up 6.9 percent; and stone, clay and glass products, up 4.4 percent. Eleven of 19 commodity groups were down from last year with metallic ores off 14.4 percent; primary forest products down 12.3 percent and metals and products off 11.9 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 21 weeks of 2003: 6,739,550 carloads, up 0.5 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 3,876,752 trailers and containers, up 7.2 percent; and total volume of an estimated 596.2 billion ton-miles, up 0.8 percent from last year’s first 21 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 also reported gains in intermodal traffic but a decline in carload freight during the week ended May 24. Intermodal traffic totaled 39,386 trailers and containers, up 3.3 percent from last year. Carload volume was 60,127 cars, down 3.6 percent from the comparable week last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 21 weeks of 2003 on the Canadian railroads totaled 1,300,147 carloads, down 1.7 percent from last year, and 852,243 trailers and containers, up 10.1 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 21 weeks of 2003 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 8,039,697 carloads, up 0.2 percent from last year and 4,728,995 trailers and containers, up 7.7 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 24 totaled 8,721 cars, up 4.7 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,906 originated trailers or containers, up 16.7 percent from the 21st week of 2002. For the first 21 weeks of 2003, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 181,790 cars, up 3.4 percent from last year, and 74,303 trailers or containers, up 37.3 percent.