Intermodal up again while carloads fall

© 2003, NCI, Inc.
Destination Freedom
Newsletter of the National Corridors Initiative, Inc
Vol. 4 No. 39, Oct. 6, 2003
Used with permission

Intermodal traffic was up but carload freight was down on U.S. railroads during the week ended September 6 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Thursday.

Intermodal traffic totaled 172,347 trailers or containers, up 1.6 percent from last year. Carload freight, which doesn't include the intermodal data, totaled 311,601 cars, down 1.2 percent, with volume down 2.1 percent in the West and even with last year in the East. Total volume was estimated at 27.6 billion ton-miles, up 1.5 percent from last year. Both this year's week and the comparison week from last year included the Labor Day holiday.

Eleven of 19 carload commodity groups were up from last year, with grain traffic up 17.5 percent; coke up 91.0 percent; and stone, clay and glass products gaining 10.3 percent. On the downside, loadings of metallic ores were off 29.2 percent and farm products other than grain declined by 19.2 percent.

The AAR also reported the following cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 36 weeks of 2003:

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 intermodal and carload volume were up during the week ended September 6 on Canadian railroads. Intermodal traffic totaled 38,966 trailers and containers, up 1.3 percent from last year. Carload volume of 58,167 cars was up 2.8 percent from the comparable week last year. Canada's Labour Day holiday was included in both this year's week and the comparison week from last year.

Cumulative originations for the first 36 weeks of 2003 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,192,841 carloads, down 1.4 percent from last year, and 1,486,758 trailers and containers, up 8.1 percent from last year.

Combined cumulative volume for the first 36 weeks of 2003 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 13,798,948 carloads, down 0.5 percent from last year and 8,222,455 trailers and containers, up 5.8 percent from last year.

The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended September 6 totaled 8,495 cars, down 10.0 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 3,541 originated trailers or containers, up 1.6 percent from the 36th week of 2002. For the first 36 weeks of 2003, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 305,431 cars, virtually the same as last year, and 125,891 trailers or containers, up 21.9 percent.

The AAR is online at www.aar.org.