(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on December 30.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Both United States and Canadian railroads set records for intermodal traffic during 2003, as intermodal volume in the two nation’s topped 12 million trailers or containers for the first time, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal volume on U.S. railroads totaled 9,943,362 trailers or containers for the 52 week period ended December 27, up 6.8 percent from the 9,312,360 reported in 2002 when the previous record was set.
Canadian railroads moved 2,164,216 trailers or containers during the 52 weeks of 2003, breaking the previous record set in 2002 by 5.3 percent.
The combined U.S.-Canadian intermodal volume of 12,107,578 trailers or containers was 6.5 percent above the 11,367,331 moved in 2002 when the previous record was set.
Both U.S. and Canadian railroads reported increases in carload freight for the year, with volume of 16,933,957 reported on U.S. railroads, up 0.1 percent from 2002. Canadian carload volume of 3,273,523 cars was up 1.5 percent from 2002. Total combined carload volume for 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads was 20,207,480 cars, up 0.3 percent from last year.
U.S. railroads also set a record for total volume for the year of an estimated 1.511 trillion ton-miles, 1.9 percent above the 1.483 trillion reported last year which was also a record year.
For just the week ended December 27, intermodal traffic totaled 133,601 trailers or containers, up 11.0 percent from the comparable week last year. Container traffic registered a 10.3 percent gain, while trailer volume rose 13.1 percent from last year.
Carload freight, which does not include the intermodal data, totaled 254,773 cars, up 5.6 percent from last year with volume up 6.3 percent in the West and 4.3 percent in the East. Total volume was estimated at 22.9 billion ton-miles, up 8.5 percent from last year. Both the 2003 week and the comparison week from last year included the Christmas holiday.
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. Railroads provide more than 40 percent of the nation’s intercity freight transportation, more than any other mode, and rail traffic figures are regarded as an important economic indicator.
Both carload and intermodal volume was up on Canada’s railroads during the holiday week ended December 27. Carload volume totaled 48,155 cars, up 31.3 percent, with agricultural products registering a 72.0 percent gain. Intermodal traffic totaled 26,830 trailers or containers, up 4.5 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 27 totaled 5,809 cars, down 15.5 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 1,632 originated trailers or containers, down 11.4 percent from the 52nd week of 2002. For the 52 weeks of 2003, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 435,901 cars, down 2.8 percent from last year, and 177,519 trailers or containers, up 10.9 percent.