WASHINGTON, D.C. — Both intermodal and carload freight registered gains during the week ended February 23 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on its website yesterday.
Intermodal traffic totaled 171,612 trailers and containers, up 7.7 percent from the comparable week last year, with container volume registering a 13.2 percent gain while trailer traffic was off 4.6 percent. Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 328,210 cars, up 0.3 percent from last year, with volume up 1.7 percent in the West but down 1.4 percent in the East. Total volume was estimated at 28.7 billion ton-miles, up 1.1 percent from last year’s eighth week.
Eight commodities registered gains from last year, with motor vehicles and equipment up 18.2 percent; lumber and wood products up 13.3 percent; and crushed stone, gravel and sand up 8.0 percent. Eleven commodities declined, including coke, 15.5 percent; primary forest products, 13.5 percent; and pulp and paper products, 12.8 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first eight weeks of 2002: 2,533,089 carloads, down 2.4 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 1,299,718 trailers and containers, down 0.9 percent; and total volume of an estimated 222.1 billion ton-miles, down 0.7 percent from last year’s first eight 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.
Canadian railroads reported gains in intermodal traffic but a decline in carload freight during the week ended February 23. Intermodal traffic totaled 38,231 trailers and containers, up 13.8 percent from last year. Carload volume was 61,636 cars, down 2.2 percent from the comparable week last year.
Cumulative originations for the first eight weeks of 2002 on the Canadian railroads totaled 468,944 carloads, down 6.1 percent from last year, and 268,350 trailers and containers, up 0.2 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first eight weeks of 2002 on 16 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 3,002,033 carloads, down 3.0 percent from last year and 1,568,068 trailers and containers, down 0.7 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended February 23 totaled 10,410 cars originated or received from connecting lines, down 5.2 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 2,813 trailers or containers, down 33.3 percent from the eighth week of 2001. For the first eight weeks of 2002, TFM reported cumulative volume of 79,817 cars, down 7.3 percent from last year, and 23,732 trailers or containers, down 10.0 percent.
AAR is the world’s leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers.