WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rail intermodal traffic rose again during the week ended November 16 in comparison with the same week last year, but carload freight was off slightly, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) said on November 21.
Intermodal volume totaled 190,538 trailers and containers, up 5.4 percent from the comparable week last year. Container volume was up 7.3 percent from last year, and trailer loadings rose by 0.9 percent.
Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, was off by 0.2 percent from last year, totaling 347,029 cars. Carload volume was up 1.1 percent in the West but down 1.8 percent in the East. Total volume was estimated at 29.9 billion ton-miles, down 0.3 percent from the 46th week of 2001.
Ten out of 19 commodity groups showed increases from last year with metallic ores up 20.7 percent; waste and scrap materials gaining 9.8 percent; and metals and products rising 7.5 percent.
Among the nine commodities reporting decreases were primary forest products, off 13.9 percent; crushed stone, gravel and sand, down 13.2 percent; and grain, declining 10.6 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 46 weeks of 2002: 15,241,912 carloads, down 1.0 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 8,303,820 trailers and containers, up 4.1 percent; and total volume of an estimated 1.321 trillion ton?miles, up 0.6 percent from last year’s first 46 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.
Like their U.S. counterparts, Canadian railroads also reported gains in intermodal traffic during the week ended November 16, but a small decline in carload volume. Intermodal volume totaled 43,393 trailers and containers, up 19.2 percent from the comparable week last year. Carload freight totaled 60,943 cars, down 1.0 percent.
Cumulative originations for the first 46 weeks of 2002 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,752,572 carloads, down 2.7 percent from last year, and 1,788,022 trailers and containers, up 10.5 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 46 weeks of 2002 on 16 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 17,994,484 carloads, down 1.3 percent from last year and 10,091,842 trailers and containers, up 5.1 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended November 16 totaled 11,621 cars originated or received from connecting lines, up 10.4 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 4,461 trailers or containers, up 58.1 percent from the 46th week of 2001. For the first 46 weeks of 2002, TFM reported cumulative volume of 487,903 cars, up 2.9 percent from last year, and 171,616 trailers or containers, up 8.9 percent.