(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on August 14.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was down during the week ended August 9 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Total volume was estimated at 28.7 billion ton-miles, down 0.7 percent from last year. Carload freight totaled 326,433 units, down 3.0 percent from last year, with loadings down 3.0 percent in the West and 3.1 percent in the East. Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 193,951 trailers or containers, up 0.9 percent from the comparable week last year.
Fourteen out of 19 carload commodity groups reported declines in volume compared to last year, with metallic ores down 28.7 percent, nonmetallic minerals off 17.1 percent and motor vehicles and equipment dropping 11.8 percent among commodities showing increases from last year were coke, up 47.5 percent, and pulp, paper and allied products which rose 4.4 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 32 weeks of 2003: 10,275,887 carloads, down 0.2 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 5,966,674 trailers or containers, up 5.9 percent; and total volume of an estimated 905.8 billion ton-miles, up 0.6 percent from last year’s first 32 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.
Intermodal volume was up, but carload traffic was down slightly on Canadian railroads during the week ended August 9. Intermodal traffic totaled 41,775 trailers and containers, up 13.5 percent from last year. Carload volume of 54,680 cars, was off 6.4 percent from the comparable week last year. Included in the week was Canada?s Civic Holiday.
Cumulative originations for the first 32 weeks of 2003 on the Canadian railroads totaled 1,950,957 carloads, down 1.3 percent from last year, and 1,321,604 trailers and containers, up 9.3 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 32 weeks of 2003 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 12,226,844 carloads, down 0.2 percent from last year and 7,288,278 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 August 9 totaled 7,756 cars, down 3.0 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,230 originated trailers or containers, up 0.7 percent from the 32nd week of 2002. For the first 32 weeks of 2003, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 272,773 cars, up 1.6 percent from last year, and 112,450 trailers or containers, up 25.9 percent.