(The Association of American Railroads posted the following on its website on March 27.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Intermodal freight was up sharply but carload freight was down slightly on U.S. railroads during the week ended March 22, in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Carload freight totaled 317,873 carloads during the week, down 1.1 percent from the corresponding week last year. Loadings were up 4.7 percent in the East, but down 6.1 percent in the West.
Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 188,038 trailers and containers, up 8.1 percent from the comparable week a year ago. Container traffic was up 11.0 percent, while trailer volume was up 0.6 percent.
Total volume was estimated at 28.5 billion ton-miles, down 1.0 percent from last year.
As has been true in recent weeks, the gainers were paced by commodities associated with the steel industry, with loadings of both metallic ores and coke up 20.9 percent from last year. Loadings of metals and products were up 14.9 percent. up 8.8 percent. Eleven out of 19 commodity groups were down, with farm products other than grain down 17.9 percent and primary forest products off 11.0 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 12 weeks of 2003: 3,779,000 carloads, up 0.2 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 2,151,914 trailers and containers, up 8.7 percent; and total volume of an estimated 337.0 billion ton?miles, up 0.1 percent from last year s first 12 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.
On Canadian railroads, both intermodal and carload freight were up from last year during the week ended March 22. Intermodal traffic totaled 42,373 trailers and containers, up 10.2 percent from last year. Carload volume of 65,243 cars was up 0.6 percent from the comparable week last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 12 weeks of 2003 on the Canadian railroads totaled 738,233 carloads, down 1.0 percent from last year, and 471,051 trailers and containers, up 11.1 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 12 weeks of 2003 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 4,517,233 carloads, up less than 0.1 percent from last year, and 2,622,965 trailers and containers, up 9.1 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended March 22 totaled 8,241 cars originated, down 8.9 percent from last year. TFM reported originated intermodal volume of 3,401 trailers or containers, up 40.8 percent from the 12th week of 2002.
For the first 12 weeks of 2003, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 104,501 cars, up 9.0 percent from last year, and 42,146 trailers or containers, up 47.8 percent.