(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on April 22.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Both carload and intermodal traffic on U.S. railroads showed strong gains during week ended April 17 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal traffic totaled 206,754 trailers or containers, up 12.1 percent from last year. Trailer traffic was up 13.7 percent and container volume rose 11.6 percent from last year.
Carload freight, which does not include the intermodal data, totaled 343,501 cars, up 6.2 percent from last year, with volume up 8.1 percent in the West and 3.9 percent in the East. Total volume was estimated at 31.3 billion ton-miles, up 7.6 percent from last year. Good Friday, which is observed as a holiday on many railroads, was included in the comparison week from last year, but not in this year’s week.
Twelve of 19 carload commodity groups were up from last year, with petroleum products up 20.5 percent; nonmetallic minerals up 17.8 percent; grain up 17.1 percent; metals up 15.8 percent; and chemicals up 14.2 percent. Loadings of primary forest products were down 4.6 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 15 weeks of 2004: 4,967,682 carloads, up 3.2 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 2,993,129 trailers or containers, up 7.6 percent; and total volume of an estimated 446.0 billion ton-miles, up 4.5 percent from last year’s first 15 weeks.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended April 17 carload traffic totaled 72,993 cars, up 13.3 percent from last year. Intermodal traffic totaled 44,889 trailers or containers, up 13.1 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 15 weeks of 2004 on the Canadian railroads totaled 1,002,284 carloads, up 6.7 percent from last year, and 601,737 trailers and containers, down 0.5 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 15 weeks of 2004 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 5,969,966 carloads, up 3.8 percent from last year and 3,594,866 trailers and containers, up 6.1 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended April 17 totaled 8,742 cars, up 7.6 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,630 originated trailers or containers, up 24.1 percent from the 15th week of 2003. For the first 15 weeks of 2004, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 124,929 cars, down 7.0 percent from last year, and 51,540 trailers or containers, down 6.7 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.