AAR: U.S. intermodal slips amidst overall weekly gains

U.S. intermodal volume, almost routinely gaining ground, slipped during the week ending Feb. 7, 2015, even as total U.S. freight rail traffic for the week rose, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Wednesday, Feb. 11.

U.S. freight carload traffic for the week was up 4.7 for the week, measured against the comparable week in 2014, AAR said. But U.S. intermodal volume fell 3.3% compared with the same week a year ago. Total U.S. weekly traffic notched a 0.8% gain.

Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups AAR tracks on a weekly basis posted increases compared with the same week in 2014, led by grain, up 15.9%, nonmetallic minerals, up 8.7%, and forest products, up 7.3%. Of the two declining commodity groups, farm products slipped 2.9%, and motor vehicles and parts barely entered the red, down 0.1%.

Canadian freight carload traffic for the week ending Feb. 7 rose 7.3%, while Canadian intermodal volume fared well, too, up 11% measured against the comparable week in 2014. Mexican freight carload traffic fell 1.2%, but Mexican intermodal volume rose 4.2%.

Combined North American freight carload traffic for the week ending Feb. 7, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was up 5% measured against the comparable week in 2014. Combined North American intermodal volume was down 0.7%.