(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on May 1.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was virtually the same during the week ended April 26 as it was during the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal volume totaled 187,683 trailers or containers, up just 0.3 percent from last year. Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 330,058 cars, virtually the same as last year, with loadings up 1.2 percent in the West, but down 1.5 percent in the East. Total volume was estimated at 28.7 billion ton-miles, the same as last year.
Eleven commodity groups showed gains from last year with coke up 40.6 percent; metallic ores up 29.8 percent; and both farm products other than grain and waste and scrap materials increasing 11.5 percent. Among the eight commodities registering decreases were motor vehicles and equipment, down 20.0 percent and grain, off 8.9 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 17 weeks of 2003: 5,418,428 carloads, up 0.6 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 3,097,596 trailers and containers, up 7.7 percent; and total volume of an estimated 481.0 billion ton?miles, up 0.8 percent from last year’s first 17 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, intermodal volume was up while carload traffic was down during the week ended April 26. Intermodal traffic totaled 42,801 trailers or containers, up 2.6 percent from last year. Carload volume of 65,658 cars was down 1.7 percent from the comparable week last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 17 weeks of 2003 on the Canadian railroads totaled 1,048,525 carloads, down 1.0 percent from last year, and 679,085 trailers or containers, up 10.6 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 17 weeks of 2003 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 6,466,953 carloads, up 0.4 percent from last year, and 3,776,681 trailers and containers, up 8.2 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended April 26 totaled 6,896 cars originated, down 25.5 percent from last year. TFM reported originated intermodal volume of 3,185 trailers or containers, up 5.4 percent from the 17th week of 2002.
For the first 17 weeks of 2003, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 147,834 cars, up 3.9 percent from last year, and 60,028 trailers or containers, up 41.3 percent.