WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was up sharply during the week ended September 7 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on September 12.
Intermodal volume totaled 170,183 trailers and containers, up 7.6 percent from the comparable week last year. Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 319,520 cars, up 4.3 percent from last year. Carload volume was up 4.4 percent in the East and 4.2 percent in the West. Total volume was estimated at 27.4 billion ton-miles, up 5.0 percent from the 36th week of 2001. Both the current week and the comparison week from last year included the Labor Day holiday.
Among the 15 commodities showing increases from last year were metallic ores, up 22.2 percent; nonmetallic minerals, gaining 16.6 percent; waste and scrap materials rising 10.9 percent; and coal, increasing 4.5 percent. Declines were registered among four commodities, with coke down 17.9 percent and primary forest products declining 15.3 percent from the comparable week last year.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 36 weeks of 2002: 11,791,522 carloads, down 1.1 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 6,423,980 trailers and containers, up 5.2 percent; and total volume of an estimated 1.01 trillion ton?miles, down 0.3 percent from last year’s first 36 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.
Intermodal traffic was up sharply, but carload freight was down on Canadian Canadian railroads during the week ended September 7. Intermodal traffic totaled 37,896 trailers and containers, up 26.1 percent from last year. Carload volume of 53,066 cars was down 4.5 percent from the comparable week last year. Both weeks included Canada’s Labour Day holiday.
Cumulative originations for the first 36 weeks of 2002 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,134,608 carloads, down 3.1 percent from last year, and 1,360,264 trailers and containers, up 9.5 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 36 weeks of 2002 on 16 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 13,926,130 carloads, down 1.4 percent from last year and 7,784,244 trailers and containers, up 5.9 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended September 7 totaled 11,127 cars originated or received from connecting lines, up 65.4 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,771 trailers or containers, down 5.0 percent from the 36th week of 2001. For the first 36 weeks of 2002, TFM reported cumulative volume of 376,069 cars, up 1.3 percent from last year, and 131,599 trailers or containers, up 5.8 percent.
AAR is the world’s leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers.