Nine rail freight groups show volume increases

Traffic increased in nine of the 19 carload freight commodity groups in the week ended Nov. 28, although total carload volume was down 3.9% compared with the same week last year. Both weeks included the Thanksgiving holiday.

The Association of American Railroads reported Thursday that increases were seen in nonmetallic minerals (38.1%), grain (21.3%), farm products not including grain (20.1%), motor vehicles and equipment (15%), chemicals (13.2%), grain mill products (11.5%), metals and products (11.2%), metallic ores (3.1%), and petroleum products (2.2%).

Declines in commodity groups ranged from 0.9% for crushed stone, sand, and gravel to 28.3% for coke.

Intermodal traffic added up to 165,856 trailers and containers, down 6.4% from last year and down 32.1% from 2007.

Total volume on U.S. railroads for the week ending Nov. 28, 2009 was estimated at 27.6 billion ton-miles, down 3.8% compared with the same week last year.

Canadian railroads reported 69,216 carloads for the week, down 3.8% from last year, and 42,123 intermodal units, down 7.5%. Mexican railroads originated 12,760 carloads, down 1.7% from the same week last year, and 7,602 trailers and containers, up 24.1%.

Combined North American rail volume for the first 47 weeks of 2009 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 16,056,494 carloads, down 17.4% from last year, and 11,160,176 trailers and containers, down 15.4%.