U.S. freight traffic makes

U.S. freight carload traffic for the week ending July 23, 2011 advanced 1.4% compared with the same week in 2010, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday. U.S. intermodal volume edged up 0.8% compared with the same week a year ago.

AAR said 12 of the 20 carload commodity groups it measures posted increases from the comparable week in 2010, led by metallic ores, up 53.2%, iron and steel scrap, up 24.5%, and crushed stone, sand, and gravel, up 16.8%. Groups showing a decrease in weekly traffic included farm products excluding grain, down 13.5%, waste and nonferrous scrap, down 10.2%, and primary forest products, down 10.1%.

Canadian freight carload traffic rose 0.7% compared with the same week last year, while Canadian intermodal jumped 8.3%. Mexican freight carload traffic rose 15.2% for the week compared with 2010’s level, while intermodal soared 56.6%.

Combined North American freight carload volume for the first 29 weeks of 2011 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was up 2.5% compared with the first 29 weeks of 2010, while combined intermodal rose 6.6% compared with a year ago.