(The Association of American Railroads issued the following press release on January 9.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rail freight traffic on U.S. railroads was up sharply during the week ended January 4 in comparison with the first week of last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Carload freight totaled 271,050 cars, up 9.4 percent from last year, with volume up 11.2 percent in the East and 8.2 percent in the West. Intermodal traffic, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 126,772 trailers and containers, up 9.8 percent from last year. Total volume was estimated at 23.8 billion ton-miles, up 9.2 percent from last year.
Sixteen out of 19 commodity groups were up in comparison with last year, with farm products other than grain; metallic ores; crushed stone, gravel and sand; lumber and wood products; pulp, paper and allied products; chemicals; stone, clay and glass products; metals and products; and waste and scrap materials all registering double digit gains. Loadings of motor vehicles and equipment were down 22.7 percent.
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.
Intermodal freight was up sharply but carload freight was down on Canadian railroads during the week ended January 4. Intermodal traffic totaled 28,675 trailers and containers, up 22.4 percent from last year. Carload volume was 45,094 cars, down 2.0 percent from last year’s first week.
Combined volume for the first week of 2003 on 16 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 316,144 carloads, up 7.6 percent from last year and 155,447 trailers and containers, down 11.9 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) totaled 6,676 cars originated, up 13.6 percent from last year. TFM reported originated intermodal volume of 1,583 trailers or containers, down 47.4 percent from the first week of 2002.