AAR Reports Weekly Rail Traffic Continues to Register Gains

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reports that weekly rail traffic continues to register gains in 2011 with U.S. railroads originating 282,987 carloads, up 7.5 percent compared with the same week in 2010, for the week ending Jan. 15, 2011. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 213,486 trailers and containers, up 5.8 percent compared with the same week in 2010, with container volume up 7.2 percent, but trailer volume down 1.5 percent.

Eleven of the 20 carload commodity groups increased from the comparable week in 2010. Commodities posting significant gains in loadings included: metallic ores, up 119.2 percent, and metals and products, up 17.9 percent. Commodity groups reporting double digit declines were waste and nonferrous scrap, down 20.2 percent, and primary forest products, down 15.2 percent.

Weekly carload volume on Eastern railroads was up 5.9 percent compared with last year. In the West, weekly carload volume was up 8.4 percent compared with the same week in 2010.

For the first two weeks of 2011, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 568,309 carloads, up 13.5 percent from last year, and 427,151 trailers and containers, up 7.2 percent from the comparison week in 2010.

Canadian railroads reported volume of 70,176 cars for the week, down 4.4 percent from last year, and 42,929 trailers and containers, down 2.8 percent from 2010. For the first two weeks of 2011, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 140,918 carloads, up .3 percent from last year, and 87,243 trailers and containers, up 0.3 percent from last year.

Mexican railroads reported originated volume of 14,966 cars, up 11.2 percent from the same week last year, and 6,951 trailers and containers, down 0.4 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first two weeks of 2011 was reported as 27,923 carloads, up 5.1 percent from last year, and 13,009 trailers and containers, up 1.1 percent.

Combined North American rail volume for the first two weeks of 2011 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 737,150 carloads, up 10.4 percent from last year, and 527,403 trailers and containers, up 5.8 percent from last year.

For more information, visit www.aar.org.