(The Association of American Railroads posted the following on its website on March 13.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Both carload and intermodal freight registered gains on U.S. railroads during the week ended March 8, in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal volume totaled 180,359 trailers and containers, up 10.5 percent from the comparable week a year ago. Container traffic was up 14.9 percent, while trailer volume was virtually the same as last year.
Carload freight, which does not include the intermodal data, totaled 316,790 carloads during the week, a 2.9 percent increase from the corresponding week last year. Loadings were up 4.4 percent in the East, and 1.6 percent in the West.
Total volume was estimated at 28.4 billion ton-miles, up 2.9 percent from last year.
Showing large increases were three commodities associated with the steel industry: metallic ores, up 47.7 percent from last year; coke, up 34.3 percent; and metals and products, up 12.7 percent. Pulp, paper and allied products were up 14.2 percent and coal was up for just the second time this year, gaining 1.9 percent from last year. Eight out of 19 commodity groups were down, with lumber and wood products off 10.0 percent; motor vehicles and equipment, down 4.0 percent; and grain off 3.9 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first ten weeks of 2003: 3,130,831 carloads, virtually the same as last year; intermodal volume of 1,778,621 trailers and containers, up 8.6 percent; and total volume of an estimated 279.0 billion ton?miles, down 0.3 percent from last year’s first ten weeks.
Railroads reporting to AAR account for 90 percent of U.S. carload freight and 96 percent of rail intermodal volume. When the U.S. operations of Canadian railroads are included, the figures increase to 96 percent and 100 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.
On Canadian railroads, intermodal volume was up while carload traffic was down during the week ended March 8. Intermodal traffic totaled 38,293 trailers and containers, up 2.0 percent from last year. Carload volume of 60,407 cars was down 3.5 percent from the comparable week last year.
Cumulative originations for the first ten weeks of 2003 on the Canadian railroads totaled 610,894 carloads, down 0.9 percent from last year, and 389,532 trailers and containers, up 11.5 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first ten weeks of 2003 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 3,741,725 carloads, down 0.2 percent from last year and 1,778,621 trailers and containers, up 8.6 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended March 8 totaled 9,770 cars originated, up 15.5 percent from last year. TFM reported originated intermodal volume of 3,897 trailers or containers, up 35.1 percent from the tenth week of 2002.
For the first ten weeks of 2003, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 87,524 cars, up 12.6 percent from last year, and 35,134 trailers or containers, up 52.1 percent.