(The AAR issued the following on March 25.)
WASHINGTON — Both carload and intermodal freight registered strong gain on U.S. railroads during the week ended March 20 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal traffic totaled 206,976 trailers or containers, up 10.1 percent from last year. Trailer traffic was up 14.2 percent and container volume rose 8.6 percent from last year.
Carload freight, which does not include the intermodal data, totaled 336,024 cars, up 5.7 percent from last year, with volume up 11.5 percent in the West but down 0.4 percent in the East. Total volume was estimated at 30.2 billion ton-miles, up 7.1 percent from last year.
Eleven of 19 carload commodity groups were up from last year, with coke gaining 33.7 percent; farm products other than gain up 22.0 percent; waste and scrap material rising 14.6 percent; and coal increasing 11.0 percent. Among the commodities registering declines were motor vehicles and equipment off 7.5 percent and non-metallic minerals down 7.0 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 11 weeks of 2004: 3,610,647 carloads, up 3.0 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 2,165,794 trailers or containers, up 6.9 percent; and total volume of an estimated 323.4 billion ton-miles, up 4.4 percent from last year’s first 11 weeks.
Canadian railroads also reported sharp increases in carload freight but a small decline in intermodal freight during the week ended March 20. Carload volume totaled 69,319 cars, up 7.6 percent, with coal up 67.3 percent and agricultural products up 6.7 percent from last year. Intermodal traffic totaled 39,093 trailers or containers, down 6.9 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 11 weeks of 2004 on the Canadian railroads totaled 718,038 carloads, up 6.2 percent from last year, and 427,484 trailers and containers, down 2.2 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 11 weeks of 2004 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 4,328,685 carloads, up 3.5 percent from last year and 2,593,278 trailers and containers, up 5.3 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended March 20 totaled 8,516 cars, up 3.3 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,953 originated trailers or containers, up 16.2 percent from the 11th week of 2003. For the first 11 weeks of 2004, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 90,685 cars, down 7.3 percent from last year, and 37,833 trailers or containers, down 6.7 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.