AAR: September ends with U.S. freight traffic up

U.S. freight traffic finished the last full week of the month ending Sept. 27, 2014 the same way it ploughed through the full month itself, with gains, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Thursday, Oct. 2.

U.S. freight carload traffic for the week ending Sept. 27 was up 1.6% measured against the comparable week in 2013, AAR said, while U.S. intermodal volume rose 2%. Total combined U.S. traffic pushed ahead 1.8%.

Only half of the 10 carload commodity groups AAR tracks on a weekly basis posted gains, however, not surprisingly led by petroleum and petroleum products, up 24.9. Commodities that posted a decrease were led by motor vehicles and parts, down 8%.

Canadian freight carload traffic for the week ending Sept. 27 did less well, down 0.2% compared with the same week in 2013. Canadian intermodal compensated, up 7.5% for the week. Mexican freight carload traffic rose 3.4% for the week, while Mexican intermodal rose more modestly, up 0.7%.

Combined North American freight carload traffic for the first 39 weeks of 2014 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was up 3 % measured against the comparable period in 2013; combined North American intermodal volume for the period was up 5.8%.

A strong September monthly showing for U.S. rail movements aided those gains. U.S. freight carload traffic for the month was up 2.7%, measured against September 2013 activity. AAR said that “marked the seventh straight month of year-over-year carload increases, something that hasn’t happened since early 2011.”

U.S. intermodal volume during September beat out year-ago levels by 4.5%, and in so doing, AAR commented, “The second, third, and fourth weeks of September 2014 were the three highest-volume intermodal weeks in history for U.S. railroads.”

Commodities with carload increases in September 2014 over September 2013 were led by petroleum and petroleum products, up 28.1%. Leading the decliners for the month: coal, down 1.7%.

“As has generally been the case in recent months, U.S. freight rail traffic in September was consistent with an economy that’s growing at a steady pace. We think that will probably continue for the foreseeable future,” said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray.