February 7, 2005 9:00 AM, EST

Transportation Services Index Rises in November

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he Department of Transportation said its transportation services index rose 0.7% in November, and the freight TSI also rose.

The increase to 127.6 was the third straight and left the index 6.7% higher than a year earlier, DOT said in a statement Monday.

DOT said the TSI for freight rose 1% to 128.9 in November, the third straight increase. It was 7% higher than a year earlier.

The TSI for passengers dropped slightly, to 125.1 in November from 125.2 in October, DOT said, a 6.1% rise from a year from November 2003.

TSI is a seasonally adjusted monthly index measuring the output of services provided by the for-hire transportation industries, including railroad, air, truck, inland waterways, pipeline and local transit.

The index includes data dating back to 1990, with changes measured against the base year of 1996. DOT said TSI is still under development and is considered experimental.