The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reports that for the week ending Dec. 4, 2010, weekly rail traffic registered gains in the post-holiday week with U.S. freight railroads originating 303,570 carloads, up 6.8 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal traffic for the week totaled 235,835 trailers and containers, up 13.8 percent compared with the same week in 2009, with container volume up 15.3 percent and trailer volume up 6.5 percent.

Thirteen of the 19 carload commodity groups increased from the comparable week in 2009. Commodities posting double digit gains in loadings included: metallic ores, up 64 percent; metals and products, up 25.3 percent; crushed stone, sand and gravel, up 24.4 percent; waste and scrap materials, up 22.7 percent; petroleum products, up 13 percent; and coke, up 10.1 percent. Among commodities reporting declines were non-metallic minerals, down 10.1 percent; primary forest products, down 9 percent; and grain mill products, down 6.4 percent.

Carload volume on Eastern railroads was up 4.7 percent compared with last year. In the West, carload volume was up 8.2 percent compared with the same week in 2009.

For the first 48 weeks of 2010, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 13,765,857 carloads, up 7.1 percent from last year, and 10,484,071 trailers or containers, up 14.3 percent from the comparison week in 2009.

Canadian railroads reported volume of 76,491 cars for the week, up 22.2 percent from last year, and 47,871 trailers or containers, up 21.4 percent from 2009. For the first 48 weeks of 2010, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,516,817 carloads, up 17.1 percent from last year, and 2,278,406 trailers or containers, up 15.6 percent from last year.

Mexican railroads reported originated volume of 13,874 cars, up 10.2 percent from the same week last year, and 6,968 trailers or containers, up 8.3 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 48 weeks of 2010 was reported as 660,661 carloads, up 18.8 percent from last year; and 328,192 trailers or containers, up 23.4 percent.

Combined North American rail volume for the first 48 weeks of 2010 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 17,943,335 carloads, up 9.3 percent from last year, and 13,090,669 trailers and containers, up 14.8 percent from last year.

For more information, visit www.aar.org.