AAR: U.S. freight traffic offers

U.S. freight carload traffic was flat for the week ending Oct. 15, 2011, measured against the comparable week of one year ago, the Association of American Railroads reported Thursday. U.S. intermodal volume for the week, however, rose 3% compared with one year ago.

AAR said 11 of the 20 carload commodity groups posted increases from the comparable week in 2010, including: metallic ores, up 28.1%; metals and products, up 18%; and petroleum products, up 17.2%. Declines were measured in grain, down 14.8%, and waste and nonferrous scrap, down 9.5%.

Canadian freight carload volume for the week fared better, up 2.9% from the comparable period last year, but Canadian intermodal fell 1.4%. Mexican freight carload traffic was down 2.4% for the week, and Mexican intermodal also declined, down 3.1%.

Combined North American freight carload volume for the first 41 weeks of 2011 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was up 2.1% compared with the same point last year, with intermodal up 5.1%.