(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on April 8.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. rail carload traffic rose 3.7 percent (60,142 carloads) in March 2004 compared to March 2003, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
U.S. intermodal rail traffic, which consists of trailers and containers on flat cars and is not included in carload figures, was up 9.3 percent (87,678 trailers and containers) in March 2004 compared with March 2003.
“Year-over-year monthly U.S. rail carload traffic was up 2.5 percent in January of this year, 3.0 percent in February, and now 3.7 percent in March,” reported AAR Vice President Craig F. Rockey. “That’s the best three straight months since the fall of 1998. It also is heartening to see the momentum building. With their strong carload and intermodal traffic, railroads are a major facilitator of the economic recovery that appears to be underway.”
Coal traffic in March was up 2.7 percent (17,165 carloads) compared with March 2003, while carloads of crushed stone and gravel, used in road construction among many other purposes, were up 12.8 percent (11,653 carloads). Grain volume was up 11.1 percent (11,495 carloads) in March. Motor vehicles and equipment had the biggest decline in March 2004, with carloads down 3.3 percent (4,455 carloads).