WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was up slightly during the week ended February 16 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported February 21 on its website.
Intermodal traffic totaled 173,221 trailers and containers, up 5.6 percent from the comparable week last year, with container volume registering a 10.0 percent gain while trailer traffic was off 4.3 percent. Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 327,081 cars, down 0.4 percent from last year, with volume up 0.8 percent in the West but down 1.9 percent in the East. Total volume was estimated at 28.7 billion ton-miles, up 0.7 percent from last year’s seventh week.
Among the nine commodities registering gains from last year were farm products other than grain, 22.1 percent; lumber and wood products, 13.3 percent; motor vehicles and equipment, 12.6 percent; and grain, 8.6 percent. Ten commodities declined, including coke, 18.7 percent; primary forest products, 12.8 percent; and metals and products, 8.9 percent.
The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first seven weeks of 2002: 2,204,879 carloads, down 2.8 percent from last year; intermodal volume of 1,128,106 trailers and containers, down 2.1 percent; and total volume of an estimated 193.3 billion ton-miles, down 1.0 percent from last year’s first seven 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 also reported gains in intermodal traffic but a decline in carload freigh during the week ended February 16. Intermodal traffic totaled 36,844 trailers and containers, up 6.8 percent from last year. Carload volume was 60,351 cars, down 4.8 percent from the comparable week last year.
Cumulative originations for the first seven weeks of 2002 on the Canadian railroads totaled 407,308 carloads, down 6.7 percent from last year, and 230,119 trailers and containers, down 1.7 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first seven weeks of 2002 on 16 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 2,612,187 carloads, down 3.4 percent from last year and 1,358,225 trailers and containers, down 2.1 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended February 16 totaled 8,779 cars originated or received from connecting lines, down 28.6 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,291 trailers or containers, down 14.6 percent from the seventh week of 2001. For the first seven weeks of 2002, TFM reported cumulative volume of 69,407 cars, down 7.6 percent from last year, and 20,919 trailers or containers, down 5.6 percent.
AAR is the world’s leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers.