WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads declined during the week ended March 23 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on March 28.
Intermodal traffic totaled 174,553 trailers and containers, down 0.2 percent from the comparable week last year. Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 325,238 cars, down 4.6 percent from last year, with volume down 4.1 percent in the East and 5.1 percent in the West. Total volume was estimated at 28.6 billion ton?miles, down 3.1 percent from last year’s twelfth week.
Six of nineteen commodities registered gains from last year, with farm products other than grain up 21.9 percent; lumber and wood products up 8.0 percent; and grain mill products up 6.5 percent. Double digit declines were reported in loadings of metallic ores, 27.3 percent; cokes, 26.9 percent; pulp, paper and allied products, 13.3 percent; and primary forest products, 11.7 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 12 weeks of 2002: 3,808,333 carloads, down 3.5 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 1,988,795 trailers and containers, down 0.5 percent; and total volume of an estimated 334.2 billion ton miles, down 1.8 percent from last year’s first 12 weeks.
Railroads reporting to AAR account for 90 percent of U.S. carload freight and 97 percent of rail intermodal volume. When the U.S. operations of Canadian railroads are included, the figures increase to 96 percent and 99 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.
Canadian railroads reported gains in intermodal traffic but a decline in carload freight during the week ended March 23. Intermodal traffic totaled 37,933 trailers and containers, up 10.4 percent from last year. Carload volume was 62,159 cars, down 1.9 percent from the comparable week last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 12 weeks of 2002 on the Canadian railroads totaled 713,830 carloads, down 5.1 percent from last year, and 416,793 trailers and containers, up 2.4 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 12 weeks of 2002 on 16 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 4,522,163 carloads, down 3.7 percent from last year and 2,405,588 trailers and containers, up less than 0.1 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended March 23 totaled 9,252 cars originated or received from connecting lines, down 0.4 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 5,518 trailers or containers, up 82.3 percent from the 12th week of 2001. For the first 12 weeks of 2002, TFM reported cumulative volume of 122,119 cars, down 5.8 percent from last year, and 38,484 trailers or containers, down 6.9 percent.
AAR is the world’s leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers.