(The Association of American Railroads posted the following report on its website on February 24.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads during the week ended February 19 registered a strong gain in comparison with the corresponding week a year ago, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal volume for the week totaled 222,937 trailers and containers, up 22.8 percent from a year ago, with containers up 29.5 percent and trailers gaining 6.1 percent.
Carload freight totaled 350,225 units during the week, up 4.9 percent from a year ago with loadings up 5.8 percent in the West and 3.7 percent in the East. Total volume was estimated at 32.6 billion ton-miles, up 5.8 percent from 2004.
Fourteen of 19 carload commodities were up from the comparable 2004 week, with coke up 24.1 percent; metallic ores gaining 15.2 percent; crushed stone, sand and gravel rising 13.1 percent; and coal increasing 5.3 percent. On the downside, loadings of primary forest products declined 3.6 percent while grain mill products were off 2.4 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first seven weeks of 2005 totaled 2,321,298 carloads, up 2.4 percent from 2004; 1,503,222 trailers or containers, up 10.4 percent; and total volume of an estimated 215.2 billion ton-miles, up 3.2 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended February 19 carload traffic totaled 69,734 cars, up 6.4 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 42,123 trailers or containers, up 7.8 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first seven weeks of 2005 on the Canadian railroads totaled 453,677 carloads, up 3.2 percent from last year, and 284,834 trailers and containers, up 3.3 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first seven weeks of 2005 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 2,774,975 carloads, up 2.5 percent from last year and 1,788,056 trailers and containers, up 9.2 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended February 19 totaled 8,671 cars, up 7.2 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,983 originated trailers or containers, down 1.1 percent from the seventh week of 2004. For the first seven weeks of 2005, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 59,415 cars, up 7.1 percent from last year, and 26,714 trailers or containers, up 18.6 percent.
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. The Canadian railroads reporting to the AAR account for 90 percent of Canadian rail traffic. Railroads provide more than 40 percent of U.S. intercity freight transportation, more than any other mode, and rail traffic figures are regarded as an important economic indicator.