(The Association of American Railroads issued the following release on April 3.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. rail carload traffic rose 2.7 percent (33,954 carloads) in March 2003 compared to March 2002, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Coal traffic in March 2003 was up 1.0 percent (5,063 carloads) compared with March 2002, the first time since December 2001 that year-over-year monthly U.S. coal originations were up. Carloads of metallic ores were up 23.6 percent (7,768 carloads) in March, and carloads of metals and metal products were up 13.1 percent (6,508 carloads). All told, 12 of the 19 commodity categories tracked by the AAR saw carload gains in March 2003 compared with March 2002.
U.S. intermodal rail traffic, which consists of trailers and containers on flat cars and is not included in carload figures, was up 9.4 percent (63,859 trailers and containers) in March 2003 compared with March 2002.
For the first three months of 2003, total U.S. rail carloadings were up 0.6 percent (23,582 carloads). During this period, a reduction in carloads of coal (down 4.0 percent, or 69,081 carloads) and grain (down 3.4 percent, or 9,605 carloads) was offset by increases in carloads of metallic ores (up 36.3 percent, or 40,578 carloads), metals and metal products (up 12.0 percent, or 18,344 carloads), and chemicals (up 3.8 percent, or 13,923 carloads).
U.S. Intermodal traffic for the first three months of 2003 was up 8.7 percent (187,715 units), with containers up 13.0 percent (201,863 units) and trailers down 2.4 percent (14,148 units).
Freight traffic totaled for the first quarter of 2003 were, 4,110,481 cars, up 0.6 percent from last year; 2,344,716 trailers or containers, up 8.7 percent; and total volume of an estimated 366.8 billion ton-miles, up 0.5 percent from 2002.
“For more than a year, coal has suppressed total rail carloadings, so the turnaround for coal in March, though relatively limited, is certainly welcome,” noted AAR Vice President Craig F. Rockey. “U.S. rail carloadings excluding coal were up 3.8 percent in March and 3.9 percent in the first quarter. While that’s impressive, we look for even greater improvement when the general economy shakes off its current malaise. ”
Canadian rail carload traffic was up 0.3 percent (816 carloads) in March 2003, as a sharp decline in coal carloadings (down 21.0 percent, or 7,407 carloads) was matched by increases in carloadings of chemicals (up 8.5 percent, or 4,766 carloads) and metallic ores (up 40.9 percent, or 2,580 carloads), among other commodities. For the first quarter of 2003, Canadian rail carloadings totaled 806,522, down 0.4 percent (2,852 carloads) from last year.
Canadian intermodal traffic was up 9.9 percent (14,721 units) in March 2003 compared with March 2002 and up 11.8 percent (54,132 units) in the first quarter. Intermodal volume for the first 13 weeks totaled 514,568 trailers or containers.
Carloads originated on Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM), a major Mexican railroad, were up 6.6 percent (2,263 carloads) in March, while intermodal originations were up 40.5 percent (4,279 trailers and containers). For the first three months of 2003, TFM carloadings were up 10.4 percent (10,761 carloads), while intermodal traffic rose 49.7 percent (15,304 units).
For just the week ended March 29, the AAR reported the following totals for U.S. railroads: 331,481 carloads, up 4.5 percent from the corresponding week in 2002, with loadings up 10.4 percent in the East and down 0.2 percent in the West; intermodal volume of 192,802 trailers and containers, up 9.2 percent; and total volume of an estimated 29.8 billion ton-miles, up 5.7 percent from the equivalent week last year.
For Canadian railroads during the week ended March 29, the AAR reported volume of 68,289 carloads, up 7.8 percent from last year; and 43,517 trailers and containers, up 19.6 percent from the corresponding week in 2002.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 13 weeks of 2003 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 4,917,003 carloads, up 0.4 percent (20,730 carloads) from last year; and 2,859,284 trailers and containers, up 9.2 percent (241,847 trailers and containers) from 2002’s first 13 weeks.