(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on April 15.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads rose during the week ended April 10 in comparison with the corresponding week last year.
Intermodal traffic totaled 201,330 trailers or containers, up 6.4 percent from last year. Trailer traffic was up 9.0 percent and container volume rose 5.5 percent from last year.
Carload freight, which does not include the intermodal data, totaled 326,519 cars, up 0.7 percent from last year, with volume up 1.5 percent in the West but down 0.3 percent in the East. Total volume was estimated at 29.7 billion ton-miles, up 2.1 percent from last year. Good Friday, which is observed as a holiday on many railroads, was included in the 2004 week but not in the comparison week from last year.
Eleven of 19 carload commodity groups were down from last year, with motor vehicles and equipment off 11.0 percent and food and food products down 9.0 percent. On the positive side, lumber and wood products were up 8.2 percent; grain increased by 5.9 percent and coal rose 4.6 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 14 weeks of 2004: 4,624,181 carloads, up 3.0 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 2,786,375 trailers or containers, up 7.2 percent; and total volume of an estimated 414.7 billion ton-miles, up 4.3 percent from last year’s first 14 weeks.
On Canadian railroads, carload traffic was flat while intermodal freight was down during the week ended April 10. Carload volume totaled 66,607 cars, up less than one-tenth of one percent from last year. Intermodal traffic totaled 41,462 trailers or containers, down 4.5 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 14 weeks of 2004 on the Canadian railroads totaled 929,291 carloads, up 6.2 percent from last year, and 556,848 trailers and containers, down 1.5 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 14 weeks of 2004 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 5,553,472 carloads, up 3.5 percent from last year and 3,343,223 trailers and containers, up 5.7 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 10 totaled 8,335 cars, down 7.5 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 2,595 originated trailers or containers, down 30.9 percent from the 14th week of 2003. For the first 14 weeks of 2004, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 116,187 cars, down 7.9 percent from last year, and 47,910 trailers or containers, down 8.5 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.