U.S. freight carload traffic slips in latest week
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefU.S. freight carload traffic fell 0.2% in the week ending June 25, 2011, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday. Counterbalancing that, U.S. intermodal volume rose 3.3% measured against the comparable week in 2010.
AAR said the freight carload results were “mixed,” noting 12 of the 20 carload commodity groups it measured posted increases from the comparable week in 2010. Increases were led by grain, up 14.4%, and coke, up 10.6%. Declining commodity groups included farm products excluding grain, down 19.5%, and waste and nonferrous scrap, down 14.7%.
Canadian freight carload volume, by contrast, rose 1.9% from last year, while Canadian intermodal volume also advanced, up 2.8%. Mexican freight carload volume declined 1.5%, while intermodal soared 41.6%.
Combined North American freight carload volume for the first 25 weeks of 2011 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was up 2.7% compared with the same point last year, while intermodal was up 7.2%.
