AAR: U.S. INTERMODAL’s CONTINUED RISE OFFSETS SLUMPING CARLOAD TRAFFIC

AAR: U.S. INTERMODALÆS CONTINUED RISE OFFSETS SLUMPING CARLOAD TRAFFIC    U.S. intermodal traffic rose 0.6 percent in November, a marginal rise that kept the railroad industry's volumes growing for the 26th straight year-over-year monthly increase, according to the Association of American Railroads.
   The intemodal rise offset a 3.9-percent drop in U.S. carload traffic in November, fueled by sharp declines in metallic ores (down 21.9 percent), grain (10.5 percent), chemicals (8.0 percent), waste and scrap materials (8.5 percent) and motor vehicles and equipment (3.9 percent).
   “Other than continued growth in intermodal traffic, there's not much good news in this month's figures, since traffic was down pretty much across the board,” said Craig F. Rockey, vice president of AAR.
   For the first 11 months of 2000, intermodal traffic on U.S. railroads is up 3.0 percent, while carload traffic is down 0.3 percent, with sharp losses in grain, coal and nonmetallic minerals offsetting year-to-date gains in crushed stone and gravel, metal and products and motor vehicles and equipment.
   Total volume through 48 weeks was estimated at 1.36 trillion ton-miles, an increase of 2.0 percent over the year-earlier period.