(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on July 22.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was up during the week ended July 17 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal volume during the week totaled 215,820 trailers and containers, up 11.0 percent from the comparable week last year. Trailer volume was up 12.9 percent while container traffic registered a 10.3 percent gain.
Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 328,212 units, up 2.1 percent from last year. Carload volume was up 4.1 percent in the West but down 0.4 percent in the East. Total volume was estimated at 29.5 billion ton-miles, up 2.8 percent from the corresponding week last year.
Twelve of 19 carload commodity groups were up from last year, with coke up 37.6 percent; metals up 18.7 percent; and nonmetallic minerals up 18.2 percent. Among commodities showing declines were motor vehicles and equipment, down 25.6 percent as some auto plants closed to prepare for the model changeover.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 28 weeks of 2004: 9,343,743 carloads, up 3.7 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 5,729,945 trailers or containers, up 9.1 percent; and total volume of an estimated 843.2 billion ton-miles, up 4.9 percent from last year’s first 28 weeks.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended July 17 carload traffic totaled 60,545 cars, up 4.5 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 43,008 trailers or containers, down 1.2 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 28 weeks of 2004 on the Canadian railroads totaled 1,876,715 carloads, up 8.8 percent from last year, and 1,159,786 trailers and containers, up 0.1 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 28 weeks of 2004 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 11,220,458 carloads, up 4.5 percent from last year and 6,889,731 trailers and containers, up 7.5 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended July 17 totaled 8,021 cars, up 10.5 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,167 originated trailers or containers, down 8.1 percent from the 28th week of 2003. For the first 28 weeks of 2004, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 238,830 cars, down 0.8 percent from last year, and 100,206 trailers or containers, down 0.6 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.