Intermodal volume boosts U.S. freight traffic

U.S. freight traffic scored another advance during the week ending June 21, 2014, aided by intermodal volume the Association of American Railroads described Thursday, June 26, as "the highest week in history ... topping the previous record set last week."

U.S. intermodal volume advanced 7.8% when measured against the comparable week in 2013, while U.S. freight carload traffic also rose, up 0.9%. Total combined U.S. weekly rail traffic was up 4.2% compared with the same week last year.

Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups AAR tracks on a weekly basis posted increases compared with the same week in 2013, including grain, up 15%, and forest products, up 12.2%.

Canadian freight rail activity also did well during the week ending June 12, with Canadian freight carload traffic up a robust 13%, and Canadian intermodal volume up a healthy 8.4%, when measured against the comparable week in 2013. Mexican freight carload traffic also rose, up 4.9%, but Mexican intermodal volume fell 3% from year-ago levels.

Combined North American freight carload traffic for the first 25 weeks of 2014 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was up 2.3% when measured against the comparable period in 2013. Combined North American intermodal was up 5.8%.