Intermodal Rail Traffic Rises 2.6 Percent

Larger U.S. railroads reported intermodal volume up 2.6 percent versus the same week last year, at 250,826 trailers and containers, during the week ending October 13, according to figures released by the Association of American Railroads. They originated 285,089 carloads for the week, down 6.1 percent compared with the same week last year, but up 0.6 percent from the week before.

Railroad trailer traffic tumbled 10.0 percent year-over-year and declined 2.0 percent from the level seen the week before. Year-to-date trailer traffic, at 1,214,626 units, is 8.9 percent below the same period last year.

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Container traffic was up 4.6 percent year-over-year and increased 0.1 percent above the level posted the week before. Year-to-date 2012 container traffic, totaling 8,498,577units, was 5.8 percent ahead of the same period last year.

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Twelve of the 20 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2011, the AAR said, with farm products excluding grain up 55.1 percent, petroleum products up 52.6 percent; and lumber and wood products up 16.6 percent. Sizeable decreases were seen in volumes of metallic ores, down 26.8 percent; iron and steel scrap, down 21 percent; and coal, down 16.9 percent.

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Year-to date carload traffic, at 11,610,934 units, was 2.7 percent below the same period last year.

AAR data for U.S. railroads does not include the U.S. operations of Canadian National and Canadian Pacific.