U.S. carload, intermodal traffic gain again
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefU.S. carload freight traffic rose 1.9% during the week ending March 26, 2011, measured against the comparable week in 2010, the Association o f American Railroads said Thursday. Intermodal volume for the week was also up, 5.7%, compared with the same week a year ago.
AAR said 11 of its 20 commodity groups posted increases. Leading gainers included: pulp, paper and allied products, up 19.4%; motor vehicles and equipment, up 12.7%; chemicals, up 12.1%, and petroleum products, up 12.1%. Declining commodity groups included: primary forest products, down 20.6%; coke, down 15.4%; and waste and nonferrous scrap, down 11.1%.
Weekly carload volume on Eastern railroads dropped 1.4%, but in the West, weekly carload volume was up 4.2%.
Canadian carload freight rose 2.4% from last year, while intermodal volume also rose, up 1.9% from 2010. Mexican carload freight traffic advanced 4.1% compared with the same week last year, though intermodal slipped, down 0.4%.
Combined North American carload freight volume for the first 12 weeks of 2011 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads rose 3.9% compared with the same point last year, while intermodal increased 7%.
