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In March, the Transportation Services Index (TSI) of 111.0 rose 0.8 percent compared with February — the index’s first gain after three-straight monthly declines, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics. However, the TSI fell 0.5 percent compared with March 2005.

During the first quarter, the TSI decreased 0.2 percent compared with fourth-quarter 2005 — the index’s first quarterly decline since 2003.

The March Freight TSI of 111.6 increased 0.2 percent compared with February but dropped 0.8 compared with March 2005, the first March-over-March decrease since 2002. The Freight TSI fell 0.2 percent between January and March, registering its first quarterly drop since 2003.

The March Passenger TSI of 109.2 rose 1.7 percent compared with February and declined less than 0.1 percent compared with March 2005. During 2006’s first three months, the Passenger TSI dropped 0.7 percent — the index’s second-straight quarterly decrease.

The TSI is a measure of month-to-month changes in the output of services provided by for-hire transportation industries, including rail, air, truck, inland waterways, pipelines and local transit.