(The Association of American Railroads posted the following news release on its website on December 23.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Intermodal traffic on the nation’s railroads registered another strong gain in comparison with last year during the week ended December 20, but carload freight was down from a year ago, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal traffic totaled 200,336 trailers or containers, up 9.0 percent from the comparable week last year. Container traffic registered a 9.2 percent gain, while trailer volume rose 8.7 percent from last year.
Carload freight, which does not include the intermodal data, totaled 330,999 cars, down 3.2 percent from last year with volume down 4.3 percent in the East and 2.2 percent in the West. Total volume was estimated at 29.9 billion ton-miles, down 1.3 percent from last year.
The carload reduction could be attributed largely to declines in loadings of metallic ores and coal, which were off 26.8 percent and 7.0 percent respectively.
Overall 11 of 19 carload commodity groups registered gains from last year, with nonmetallic minerals up 18.7 percent; crushed stone, sand and gravel up 17.9 percent; and coke up 11.0 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 51 weeks of 2003: 16,679,185 carloads, virtually the same as last year; intermodal volume of 9,809,761 trailers or containers, up 6.7 percent; and total volume of an estimated 1.48 trillion ton-miles, up 1.4 percent from last year’s first 51 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.
Carload freight was up but intermodal volume down on Canada’s railroads during the week ended December 20. Carload volume totaled 68,892 cars, up 12.7 percent, with agricultural products registering a 53.7 percent gain. Intermodal traffic totaled 41,371 trailers or containers, down 7.0 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 51 weeks of 2003 on the Canadian railroads totaled 3,225,368 carloads, up 1.2 percent from last year, and 2,137,386 trailers and containers, up 5.3 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 51 weeks of 2003 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 19,904,552 carloads, up 0.2 percent from last year and 11,947,147 trailers and containers, up 6.5 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended December 20 totaled 9,990 cars, up 12.2 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 2,858 originated trailers or containers, down 0.4 percent from the 51st week of 2002. For the first 51 weeks of 2003, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 430,092 cars, down 2.6 percent from last year, and 175,887 trailers or containers, up 11.2 percent.