(The Association of American Railroads posted the following news release on its website on June 17.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was up sharply during the week ended June 12, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal volume of 218,456 trailers or containers, up 11.2 percent from the comparable week last year. Trailer traffic was up 14.7 percent while container volume showed a 10.1 increase.
Carload freight, which doesn’t include intermodal data, totaled 345,744 cars, up 3.3 percent from last year. Total volume up 31.4 billion ton miles, up 4.0 from last year.
Among the 19 carload commodity groups showing increases compared with last year , with coke up 17.2 percent from last year, non-metallic minerals up 6.3, Lumber and Wood up 10.8 percent, pulp, paper and allied products, chemicals up 2.7, petroleum products up 5.4, stone, clay and glass products up 7.0, metal and products up 15.4, waste and scrap materials up 11.6. Five commodities were down from last year, with Farm products, down 11.1, crushed stone and gravel down 1.2 percent, food and kindred products down 4.8, primary forest products, down 5.9 percent and Motor Vehicles down 3.1 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the 23 weeks of 2004: 7,701,063 carloads up 3.4 percent from last year; intermodal volume 4,678,964 trailers or containers up 8.6 percent; and total volume of an estimated 694.8 billion ton miles, up 4.7 percent from last year’s first 23 weeks.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended June 12 carload traffic totaled 66,498 cars, up 9.8 percent from last year, while intermodal volume totaled 43,247 trailers or containers, down 1.4 percent.
Cumulative originations for the first 23 weeks of 2004 on the Canadian railroads totaled 1,544,881 carloads, up 8.4 percent from last year, and 950,622 trailers and containers virtually the same last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 23 week of 2004 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads 9,255,944 carloads, up 4.2 from last year and 5,629,061 trailers and containers, up 7.0 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended 12 totaled 11,250 up 27.6 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 2,669 originated trailers or containers, down 26.5 percent from the 23 week of 2003. For the first 23 weeks of 2004, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 200,896 cars up 1.5 percent from last year, and 69,946 trailers and containers down 16.3 percent.
Railroads reporting to AAR account for 9.8 percent of U.S. carload freight.