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On Jan. 14, RailAmerica Inc. announced a dip in "same railroad" carloads during 2002 but an increase in total carloads.


Same railroad carloads, which exclude former StatesRail and ParkSierra Rail Group short lines, decreased 1.1 percent to 1.18 million compared with 1.19 million in 2001. Total carloads increased 17.6 percent to 1.43 million compared with 2001's 1.22 million.


During 2002, the short-line holding company's total North American carloads increased 25 percent while same-railroad carloads decreased 0.6 percent compared with 2001. Strong chemicals, petroleum, metals, coal and food-product traffic partially offset fewer intermodal, non-metallic ore and Canadian grain moves, RailAmerica said in a prepared statement.


Overseas, the company's total international carloads decreased 2.5 percent last year compared with 2001. Although RailAmerica obtained new copper business in Chile, grain moves dropped dramatically in Australia because of a long drought.