(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on December 23.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — With two reporting weeks remaining in the year, U.S. railroads have already moved more total freight during 2004 than any other year on record, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
The AAR reported that railroads moved 31.7 billion ton-miles of freight during the week ended December 18, 2.3 percent more than in the comparable week a year ago. This brought total volume for the year to an estimated 1.555 trillion ton-miles, 4.9 percent more than during the first 50 weeks of 2003 when the previous full year record of 1.551 trillion ton-miles was set.
Also during the week ended December 18, intermodal volume totaled 228,729 trailers or containers, up 14.2 percent from the comparable week last year. This brought the year-to-date total up to 10,661,267 trailers or containers, up 10.1 percent from last year
Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 337,460 cars, up 1.9 percent from a year ago with loadings up 2.9 percent in the East and 1.1 percent in the West. Cumulative carload volume for the first 50 weeks of 2004 was 16,867,909 cars, up 2.8 percent from last year.
Twelve of 19 carload commodities registered gains from last year, with petroleum products up 16.1 percent; metals up 4.3 percent; and coal up 4.1 percent. Among commodities reporting declines were farm products other than grain, down 24.3 percent; primary forest products, down 14.9 percent and grain, off 7.2 percent.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended December 18 carload traffic totaled 68,496 cars, up 0.2 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 42,968 trailers or containers, up 4.1 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 50 weeks of 2004 on the Canadian railroads totaled 3,377,986 carloads, up 6.8 percent from last year, and 2,108,707 trailers and containers, up 0.4 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 50 weeks of 2004 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 20,245,895 carloads, up 3.5 percent from last year and 12,769,974 trailers and containers, up 8.4 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended December 18 totaled 10,056 cars, up 20.0 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 4,729 originated trailers or containers, up 64.5 percent from the 50th week of 2003. For the first 50 weeks of 2004, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 437,995 cars, up 3.9 percent from last year, and 191,017 trailers or containers, up 9.5 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.