(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on March 3.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Loadings of both carload and intermodal freight on U.S. railroads showed healthy gains during February 2005 in comparison with last year, the Association of American Railroads reported today.
Carload freight totaled 1,374,185 carloads, up 69,689 carloads (5.3 percent) from February 2004. U.S. railroads also originated 885,038 intermodal units in February 2005, an increase of 107,368 trailers and containers (13.8 percent) over February 2004.
Thirteen of the 19 major commodity categories tracked by the AAR saw U.S. carload increases in February 2005 compared to February 2004.
February’s carload traffic gains were paced by coal (up 46,731 carloads, or 9.2 percent, to 556,222 carloads); crushed stone, sand, and gravel (up 8,255 carloads, or 11.4 percent, to 80,372 carloads); metallic ores (up 5,562 carloads, or 14.7 percent, to 43,501 carloads); and coke (up 4,171 carloads, or 18.4 percent, to 26,835 carloads). Carloads of motor vehicles and equipment were down 3,672 carloads (3.6 percent) to 97,844 carloads in February.
For the first two months of 2005, total U.S. rail carloads were up 59,923 carloads (2.3 percent) to 2,668,265 carloads, as year-over-year increases in coal (up 49,164 carloads, or 4.8 percent), crushed stone, sand, and gravel (up 14,379 carloads, or 10.1 percent); and metallic ores (up 9,403 carloads, or 11.3 percent) offset declines in waste and scrap materials (down 4,686 carloads, or 5.8 percent), food products (down 2,783 carloads, or 4.2 percent), grain (down 2,543 carloads, or 1.4 percent), and motor vehicles and equipment (down 2,420 carloads, or 1.3 percent).
“The 5.3 percentage point increase in February carloadings was the second highest monthly year-over-year carload increase for U.S. railroads in more than seven years, trailing only a 5.8 percent increase in May 2004,” noted AAR Vice President Craig F. Rockey. “Meanwhile, intermodal growth shows no sign of slowing down after a record-setting 2004.”
U.S. intermodal traffic, which consists of trailers and containers on flat cars and is not included in carload figures, was up 165,164 trailers and containers (10.6 percent) for the first two months of 2005 to 1,724,569 units.
Total volume for the first eight weeks of 2005 was estimated at 247.5 billion ton-miles, up 3.1 percent from last year.
Canadian rail carload traffic was up 15,425 carloads (6.0 percent) in February 2005 to 273,171 carloads, and up 15,660 carloads (3.1 percent) for the year to date to 522,620 carloads. Carloads of chemicals in Canada were up 5,364 carloads (9.1 percent) in February 2005 and up 6,133 carloads (5.3 percent) for the first two months of the year; carloads of grain were up 4,093 carloads (13.1 percent) for the month and up 6,084 carloads (9.5 percent) for the year to date.
Canadian intermodal traffic was up 13,682 units (8.8 percent) in February 2005 compared with February 2004 to 169,113 units, and up 15,413 units (5.0 percent) for the first two months of 2005 to 325,955 units.
Carloads originated on Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM), a major Mexican railroad, were up 4,141 carloads (13.1 percent) in February 2005 to 35,781 carloads, while intermodal originations of 16,382 were up 1,724 trailers and containers (11.8 percent). For the first two months of 2005, TFM carloadings were up 5,352 carloads (8.4 percent) to 68,959 carloads, while intermodal traffic was up 4,554 units (17.3 percent) to 30,922 units.
For just the week ended February 26, the AAR reported the following totals for U.S. railroads: 346,967 carloads, up 1.9 percent from the corresponding week in 2004, with loadings up 2.0 percent in the East and up 1.8 percent in the West; intermodal volume of 221,347 trailers and containers, up 11.6 percent; and total volume of an estimated 32.3 billion ton-miles, up 2.5 percent from the equivalent week last year.
For Canadian railroads during the week ended February 26, the AAR reported volume of 68,943 carloads, up 2.2 percent from last year; and 41,121 trailers and containers, up 17.8 percent from the corresponding week in 2004.
Combined cumulative rail volume for the first 8 weeks of 2005 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 3,190,885 carloads, up 2.4 percent (75,583 carloads) from last year, and 2,050,524 trailers and containers, up 9.7 percent (180,577 units) from 2004’s first 8 weeks.