WASHINGTON — Intermodal traffic rose slightly while carload freight declined slightly during the week ended January 19 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on its website on January 24.
Intermodal traffic totaled 166,866 trailers and containers, up 1.0 percent from the comparable week last year. Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 333,124 cars, down 0.7 percent from last year, with volume up 1.9 percent in the West but down 3.9 percent in the East. Total volume was estimated at 29.1 billion ton-miles, up 0.7 percent from last year’s third week.
Seven out of 19 commodity groups registered gains from last year, with loadings of motor vehicles and equipment up 21.8 percent; lumber and wood products up 11.1 percent and stone, clay and glass products up 8.9 percent. On the downside, farm products other than grain were down 16.3 percent; coke loadings fell 12.4 percent, and metals and products declined 8.7 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first three weeks of 2002: 916,346 carloads, down 3.1 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 453,976 trailers and containers, down 2.8 percent; and total volume of an estimated 79.8 billion ton-miles, down 1.6 percent from last year’s first three 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.
Both intermodal and carload freight were down on Canadian railroads during the week ended January 19. Intermodal traffic totaled 32,941 trailers and containers, down 2.7 percent from last year. Carload volume was 61,963 cars, down 4.2 percent from the comparable week last year.
Cumulative originations for the first three weeks of 2002 on the Canadian railroads totaled 167,796 carloads, down 7.0 percent from last year, and 90,451 trailers and containers, down 4.9 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first three weeks of 2002 on 16 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 1,084,142 carloads, down 3.7 percent from last year and 544,427 trailers and containers, down 3.2 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended January 19 totaled 10,189 cars originated or received from connecting lines, up 35.7 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,162 trailers or containers, down 0.4 percent from the third week of 2001. For the first three weeks of 2002, TFM reported cumulative volume of 32,297 cars, up 8.5 percent from last year, and 8,674 trailers or containers, up 5.3 percent.
AAR is the world’s leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers.