(The Association of American Railroads circulated the following news release on August 25.)
WASHINGTON — U.S. railroads originated more intermodal containers during the week ended August 13 than in any previous week on record, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Container volume of 179,472 broke a record established just three weeks earlier when volume totaled 177,110 containers.
Total intermodal volume (which includes trailers as well as containers) of 236,785 trailers or containers, was up 9.0 percent from the comparable week last year and was the second highest week on record. Trailer volume for the week was up 1.7 percent from last year, and container volume was up 11.6 percent.
Carload traffic, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 339,225, up 2.0 percent from last year, with carload traffic up 2.5 percent in the East and 1.5 percent in the West.
Total volume was estimated at 33.5 billion ton-miles, up 2.8 percent from last year.
Among the 19 carload commodities, eleven showed increases from last year, with coke up 21.0 percent; nonmetallic minerals up 41.3 percent; crushed stone, sand and gravel up 14.5 percent; and farmer products other than grain up 19.8 percent. On the downside, loadings of metals were off 5.6 percent and motor vehicles and equipment were down 3.6 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first 33 weeks of 2005 totaled 10,966,821 carloads, up 1.5 percent from 2004; 7,247,033 trailers or containers, up 6.2 percent; and total volume of an estimated 1.05 trillion ton-miles, up 2.3 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended August 13 carload traffic totaled 75,696 cars, down 4.6 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 44,290 trailers or containers, up 4.7 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 33 weeks of 2005 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,496,081 carloads, down 0.5 percent from last year, and 1,396,301 trailers and containers, up 2.4 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 33 weeks of 2005 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 13,462,902 carloads, up 1.1 percent from last year and 8,643,334 trailers and containers, up 5.6 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended August 13 totaled 8,135 cars, down 13.8 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,844 originated trailers or containers, down 4.1 percent from the 33rd week of 2004. For the first 33 weeks of 2005, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 280,540 cars, down 0.6 percent from last year, and 125,880 trailers or containers, up 5.7 percent.
Railroads reporting to AAR account for 87 percent of U.S. carload freight and 96 percent of rail intermodal volume. When the U.S. operations of Canadian railroads are included, the figures increase to 96 percent and 100 percent. The Canadian railroads reporting to the AAR account for 91 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.
AAR is the world’s leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers.