AAR: North American carloads flat, intermodal up

The AAR reported increased U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 19, 2014, with 290,713 total U.S. carloads, up 5.1% compared with the same week last year. Total U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 259,113 units, up 7.6% compared with the same week last year. Total combined U.S. weekly rail traffic was 549,826 carloads and intermodal units, up 6.3% compared with the same week last year.

Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2013, including grain with 21,582 carloads, up 36.9%, and petroleum and petroleum products with 15,252 carloads, up 12.4%. The commodities showing a decrease compared with the same week last year were led by metallic ores and metals with 22,835 carloads, down 8.9%.

For the first 16 weeks of 2014, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 4,484,785 carloads, up 1.8% compared with the same point last year, and 3,987,578 intermodal units, up 5% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 16 weeks of 2014 was 8,472,363 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.3% from last year.

Canadian railroads reported 81,698 carloads for the week, down 2.8%, and 59,157 intermodal units, up 6.6% compared with the same week in 2013. For the first 16 weeks of 2014, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,174,282 carloads, down 6.5% from the same point last year, and 846,505 intermodal units, up 3.1% from last year.

Mexican railroads reported 13,166 carloads for the week, down 11.9% compared with the same week last year, and 8,144 intermodal units, down 15.7%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 16 weeks of 2014 was 239,795 carloads, up 1.1% from the same point last year, and 150,613 intermodal units, down 0.4% from last year.