WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. rail carload traffic rose 2.5 percent (39,786 carloads) while intermodal rail traffic rose 8.0 percent (67,394 units) in July 2002 compared to July 2001, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on its website.
Carloads of metallic ores, which were up 32.4 percent (22,305 carloads) in July 2002, paced all other commodities, while carloads of motor vehicles and equipment were up 6.8 percent (5,419 carloads). Nonmetallic minerals (up 15.0 percent, or 4,849 carloads), chemicals (up 3.1 percent, or 4,143 carloads), and grain (up 2.3 percent, or 2,388 carloads) also saw significant year-over-year carload increases in July 2002. All told, 14 of the 19 commodity categories tracked by the AAR saw carload increases in July 2002 compared with July 2001. On the down side, carloads of crushed stone and gravel fell 4.1 percent (4,527 carloads) in July 2002, while carloads of primary forest products were down 7.8 percent (1,706 carloads). Carloads of coal, the single most important commodity carried by U.S. railroads, were essentially unchanged (down 20 carloads out of more than 630,000) in July 2002.
“Given current fears concerning the fragility of the economic recovery and the possibility of a ‘double-dip’ recession, July’s rail traffic gains offer some encouragement,” noted AAR Vice President Craig F. Rockey. “Coal stockpiles are being drawn down, and major heat spells in parts of the country have led to increased demand for coal-fired electricity generation. The steel sector in the United States is now performing far better than it has been, leading to increased rail shipments of metallic ores and metal products, and chemical carloadings are benefiting from continued increases in industrial production. Clearly, we hope the economic expansion continues.”
For the first seven months of 2002, U.S. rail carloadings were down 1.6 percent (161,240 carloads). Through July, year-to-date carloads of coal were down 4.2 percent (173,001 carloads), while year-to-date carloads of coke were down 17.4 percent (22,251 carloads). Carloads of motor vehicles and equipment were up 4.0 percent (27,977 carloads) in 2002 through July, while carloads of crushed stone and gravel were up 2.6 percent (15,447 carloads). Year-to-date intermodal traffic was up 4.7 percent (247,330 trailers and containers), including an 8.7 percent increase (319,135 units) in container volume.
Canadian intermodal traffic was up 14.9 percent (25,303 units) in July 2002, while Canadian rail carload traffic was down 5.8 percent (16,723 carloads) during the same period. Canadian grain carloadings were down 21.2 percent (10,238 carloads) in July, and coal carloadings were down 10.5 percent (4,466 carloads). On the positive side, carloads of chemicals were up 6.5 percent (3,525 carloads) in July, while carloads on nonmetallic minerals were up 10.2 percent (862 carloads).
For the first seven months of 2002, Canadian carload traffic was down 3.4 percent (65,524 carloads), due mainly to declines in grain (down 18.2 percent, or 52,656 carloads, a reflection of a poor recent Canadian grain crop), coal (down 10.1 percent, or 29,155 carloads), and farm products excluding grain (down 39.5 percent, or 23,312 carloads). Through July, Canadian carloads of chemicals were up 6.4 percent (25,007 carloads), while carloads of motor vehicles and equipment were up 9.1 percent (19,654 carloads). Canadian intermodal traffic through the first seven months of 2002 was up 8.2 percent (88,357 units).
Carloads originated on Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM), a major Mexican railroad, were down 4.7 percent (2,015 carloads) in July, while intermodal originations were up 21.3 percent (2,854 trailers and containers). For the first seven months of 2002, TFM carloadings were up 0.4 percent (858 carloads), while intermodal traffic rose 16.2 percent (11,885 units).
For just the week ended August 3, the AAR reported the following totals for U.S. railroads: 342,769 carloads, up 3.2 percent from the corresponding week in 2001, with loadings up 2.9 percent in the East and up 3.3 percent in the West; intermodal volume of 192,601 trailers and containers, up 6.8 percent; and total volume of an estimated 29.5 billion ton-miles, up 3.9 percent from the equivalent week last year.
For Canadian railroads during the week ended August 3, the AAR reported volume of 56,593 carloads, down 5.4 percent from last year; and 41,304 trailers and containers, up 17.6 percent from the corresponding week in 2001.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 31 weeks of 2002 on 16 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 11,927,949 carloads, down 1.9 percent (226,764 carloads) from last year; and 6,625,768 trailers and containers, up 5.3 percent (335,687 units) from 2001’s first 31 weeks.