WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. freight rail carload traffic rose 1.7 percent (22,546 carloads) in November 2001 compared to November 2000, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported via its website on December 6.
On the positive side in November 2001, carloads of coal were up 5.0 percent (25,986 carloads), grain was up 10.8 percent (9,005 carloads), and crushed stone and gravel was up 5.0 percent (3,625 carloads). All told, 9 of the 19 commodity categories tracked by the AAR saw an increase in carloads in November 2001 compared with November 2000.
On the negative side, carloads of metallic ores were down 7.7 percent (4,307 carloads), primary metal products was down 7.5 percent (3,675 carloads), and coke was down 11.1 percent (1,821 carloads) all reflecting the distress of the U.S. steel industry. Carloads of pulp and paper were down 8.2 percent (3,149 carloads) in November 2001, while carloads of primary forest products were down 13.6 percent (2,644 carloads). Carloads of chemicals were down just 0.5 percent (507 carloads) in November 2001.
U.S. intermodal rail traffic, which is not included in carload figures, was down 1.4 percent (9,623 trailers and containers) in November 2001 compared with November 2000.
“The National Bureau of Economic Research recently made official what rail traffic figures have portended for months: the U.S. economy is in a recession, and has been since March,” noted AAR Vice President Craig F. Rockey. “The big questions now are how quickly the recovery will come and how strong it will be. The jury is still out on those points, but the fact that total U.S. rail carloadings have now risen for two months in a row has to be viewed as a positive sign.”
For the first eleven months of 2001, U.S. rail carloadings totaled 16,013,992 cars, down 1.0 percent (156,514 carloads). Over this period, coal was up 5.0 percent (308,899 carloads), crushed stone and gravel was up 3.6 percent (33,474 carloads), food and kindred products was up 3.8 percent (15,476 carloads), and grain mill products was up 3.3 percent (13,732 carloads). Commodities that showed declines in 2001 through November include motor vehicles and equipment (down 7.8 percent, or 94,780 carloads), metallic ores (down 12.3 percent, or 93,971 carloads), chemicals (down 5.1 percent, or 72,020 carloads), and primary metal products (down 9.8 percent, or 65,653 carloads). In 2001 through November, 14 of the 19 commodity categories tracked by the AAR saw a decrease in rail carloadings year-over year.
U.S. intermodal traffic totaled 8,303,700 containers and trailers for the first 11 months of 2001, down 2.7 percent (231,950 trailers and containers) for the first 11 months of 2001.
Total volume for the 48 week period ended December was estimated at 1.3777 trillion ton-miles, up 0.8 percent from the comparable period a year ago.
Canadian rail carloads were down just 0.6 percent (1,472 carloads) in November 2001 compared with November 2000. Carloads of grain for Canadian carriers were up 14.8 percent (5,170 carloads) for the month, pulp and paper was up 5.1 percent (888 carloads), and coal was up 2.3 percent (832 carloads). Commodities that showed declines in November include farm products excluding grain (down 33.8 percent, or 4,387 carloads), lumber and wood products (down 15.1 percent, or 1,937 carloads), chemicals (down 3.0 percent, or 1,598 carloads), and motor vehicles and equipment (down 3.4 percent, or 1,083 carloads).
For the first 11 months of 2001, Canadian carload traffic totaled 2,974,727 cars, down 2.0 percent (60,472 carloads).
Canadian intermodal traffic was down 1.9 percent (2,852 trailers and containers) in November but up 1.8 percent (29,518 trailers and containers) for the year through November in 2001 compared with 2000. Canadian intermodal volume through 48 weeks totaled 1,701,542 trailers and containers.
For just the week ended December 1, the AAR reported the following totals for U.S. railroads: 336,282 carloads, down 3.9 percent from the corresponding week in 2000, with loadings down 1.5 percent in the East and down 5.8 percent in the West; intermodal volume of 183,928 trailers and containers, down 2.1 percent; and total volume of an estimated 30.1 billion ton-miles, down 2.3 percent from the equivalent week last year.
For Canadian railroads during the week ended December 1, the AAR reported volume of 64,732 carloads, down 2.1 percent from last year; and 36,355 trailers and containers, down 3.6 percent from the corresponding week in 2000.
Mexico’s TFM, S.A. de C.V. reported 5,672 carloads originated and 3,726 carloads received for the week ended December 1, 2001.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 48 weeks of 2001 on 16 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 18,988,719 carloads, down 1.1 percent (216,986 carloads) from last year; and 10,005,242 trailers and containers, down 2.0 percent (202,432 trailers and containers) from 2000’s first 48 weeks.