(The following report appeared on the Association of American Railroads website on November 6.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. rail carload traffic rose 1.6 percent (26,523 carloads) while intermodal traffic ? which is not included in carload figures ? rose 18.1 percent (161,011 trailers and containers) in October 2003 compared to October 2002, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
In October 2003, 13 of the 19 major commodity categories tracked by the AAR saw carload gains on U.S. railroads. Coke (up 46.6 percent, or 8,853 carloads), crushed stone and gravel (up 7.8 percent, or 8,028 carloads), chemicals (up 4.8 percent, or 6,834 carloads), and grain (up 5.1 percent, or 5,942 carloads) were responsible for much of the upturn. Commodities showing carload declines in October included metallic ores (down 15.3 percent, or 12,411 carloads), coal (down 0.7 percent, or 4,500 carloads), and motor vehicles and equipment (down 1.3 percent, or 1,704 carloads). Excluding coal, U.S. rail carloadings were up 3.0 percent (31,023 carloads) in October 2003.
For the first ten months of 2003, U.S. rail carloadings totaled 14,356,078 cars, down 0.1 percent (10,336 carloads). During this period, carloads of coke were up 37.4 percent (57,780 carloads), carloads of waste and scrap were up 5.6 percent (22,208 carloads), and carloads of chemicals were up 1.5 percent (18,251 carloads). On the down side, coal declined 1.5 percent (86,318 carloads), motor vehicles and equipment was down 3.3 percent (34,796 carloads), and metallic ores was down 4.4 percent (26,794 carloads). Excluding coal, U.S. rail carloadings were up 0.9 percent (75,982 carloads) in 2003 through October.
U.S. intermodal traffic totaled 8,403,755 trailers or containers, up 6.5 percent (514,657 units) in 2003 through October and is almost certain to set an annual record. Total rail volume for the 10 months was estimated at 1.27 trillion ton-miles, 1.2 percent ahead of last year.
“Although year-over-year intermodal traffic comparisons were significantly influenced by the 10-day West Coast port shutdown in October 2002, October 2003 was, in fact, by far the top month in history for U.S. intermodal rail traffic ? five of the top six weekly totals in history occurred in October 2003,” noted AAR Vice President Craig F. Rockey. “October also marked the first month since April 2003, and only the third month so far this year, in which U.S. rail carload volumes were up compared with last year. October?s rail traffic volumes provide optimism that the North American economy may be starting to shake loose from the doldrums.”
Canadian rail carload traffic was up 6.5 percent (21,054 carloads) in October 2003. Commodities that saw rail carload gains included coal (up 20.3 percent, or 7,120 carloads), chemicals (up 7.9 percent, or 5,242 carloads), and grain (up 10.4 percent, or 4,179 carloads). Commodities seeing declines in Canadian rail carloads in October include motor vehicles and equipment (down 3.2 percent, or 1,348 carloads) and grain mill products (down 6.2 percent, or 515 carloads). All told, carload gains were registered in 12 of the 19 major commodity categories for Canadian carriers in October. Canadian intermodal traffic was up 2.4 percent (5,281 units) in October 2003 compared with October 2002.
For the first ten months of 2003, Canadian carload traffic totaled 2,740,695 cars, down 0.3 percent (7,608 carloads), while Canadian intermodal traffic totaled 1,836,489 trailers or containers, up 6.7 percent (115,062 units).
Carloads originated on Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM), a major Mexican railroad, were down 8.0 percent (3,707 carloads) in October, while intermodal originations were down 9.3 percent (1,761 trailers and containers). For the first ten months of 2003, TFM carloadings were down 2.0 percent (7,421 carloads), while intermodal traffic rose 14.7 percent (19,582 units).
For just the week ended November 1, the AAR reported the following totals for U.S. railroads: 348,241 carloads, up 4.1 percent from the corresponding week in 2002, with loadings up 5.4 percent in the East and up 3.0 percent in the West; intermodal volume of 209,782 trailers and containers, up 3.3 percent; and total volume of an estimated 31.4 billion ton-miles, up 5.7 percent from the equivalent week last year.
For Canadian railroads during the week ended November 1, the AAR reported volume of 72,570 carloads, up 12.4 percent from last year; and 43,975 trailers and containers, up 3.0 percent from the corresponding week in 2002.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 44 weeks of 2003 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 17,096,773 carloads, down 0.1 percent (17,944 carloads) from last year, and 10,240,244 trailers and containers, up 6.6 percent (629,719 units) from 2002’s first 44 weeks.