The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reports rail traffic gains for the week ending March 5, 2011, with U.S. railroads originating 300,953 carloads, up 5.5 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week was also up, totaling 214,343 trailers and containers, up 1 percent compared with the same week in 2010.

Fourteen of the 20 carload commodity groups posted increases from the comparable week in 2010. Those groups posting significant increases included: metallic ores, up 105.2 percent; motor vehicles and equipment, up 20.8 percent, and petroleum products, up 18.6 percent. The commodity group reporting a significant drop in weekly traffic was grain mill products, down 12.1 percent.

Weekly carload volume on Eastern railroads was up 0.3 percent compared with last year. In the West, weekly carload volume was up 9.2 percent compared with the same week in 2010.

For the first nine weeks of 2011, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,578,642 carloads, up 6 percent from last year, and 1,959,272 trailers and containers, up 7.9 percent from the same point in 2010.

Canadian railroads reported 70,551 carloads for the week, down 5.9 percent from last year, and 43,401 trailers and containers, down 3.3 percent from 2010. For the first nine weeks of 2011, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 630,100 carloads, down 1.4 percent from the same point last year, and 407,050 trailers and containers, up 3.9 percent from last year.

Mexican railroads reported 14,225 carloads for the week, up 6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 6,921 trailers and containers, down 4.2 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first nine weeks of 2011 was 128,418 carloads, up 5.5 percent compared with the same point last year, and 65,042 trailers and containers, up 11.6 percent.

Combined North American rail volume for the first nine weeks of 2011 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 3,337,160 carloads, up 4.5 percent compared with the same point last year, and 2,431,364 trailers and containers, up 7.3 percent compared with last year.