The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported solid weekly rail traffic, with U.S. railroads originating 285,943 carloads for the week ending July 2, 2011, up 0.3 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 236,988 trailers and containers, up 2.5 percent compared with the same week last year.

Fifteen of the 20 carload commodity groups posted increases from the comparable week in 2010. Commodity groups posting solid increases included: farm products excluding grain, up 22.3 percent; metallic ores, up 18.5 percent, and lumber and wood products, up 14.3 percent. Waste and nonferrous scrap was the only group posting a notable decrease, down 12.3 percent.

Weekly carload volume on Eastern railroads was up 5.7 percent compared with the same week last year. In the West, weekly carload volume was down 3.1 percent compared with the same week in 2010.

For the first 26 weeks of 2011, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 7,539,227 carloads, up 2.7 percent from last year, and 5,856,133 trailers and containers, up 7.8 percent from the same point in 2010.

Canadian railroads reported 74,635 carloads for the week, up 7.6 percent from last year, and 47,293 trailers and containers, up 6.9 percent from 2010. For the first 26 weeks of 2011, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,924,680 carloads, up 2.3 percent from the same point last year, and 1,214,644 trailers and containers, up 2.5 percent from last year.

Mexican railroads reported 14,154 carloads for the week, up 3.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 9,192 trailers and containers, up 60.4 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 26 weeks of 2011 was 372,366 carloads, up 4.1 percent compared with the same point last year, and 201,849 trailers and containers, up 19.7 percent.

Combined North American rail volume for the first 26 weeks of 2011 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 9,836,273 carloads, up 2.7 percent compared with the same point last year, and 7,272,626 trailers and containers, up 7.1 percent compared with last year.

For more information, visit www.aar.org.