Larger U.S. railroads reported intermodal volume up 3.9 percent versus the same week last year, at 253,186 trailers and containers, during the week ending October 27, according to figures released by the Association of American Railroads. They originated 287,104 carloads for the week, down 7 percent compared with the same week in 2011, and down 0.6 percent from the week before.
Railroad trailer traffic fell 12.6 percent year-over-year but rose 1.4 percent from the level seen the week before. Year-to-date trailer traffic, at 1,273,824 units, is 9.1 percent below the same period last year.
Container traffic was up 6.5 percent year-over-year and increased 1.6 percent above the level posted the week before. Year-to-date 2012 container traffic, totaling 8,946,448 units, was 5.8 percent ahead of the same period last year.
Nine of the 20 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2011, the AAR said, with farm products excluding grain up 72 percent, petroleum products up 52.7 percent, and lumber and wood products up 17.8 percent. Sizeable decreases were seen in volumes of iron and steel scrap, down 32.8 percent; grain, down 19 percent; and coal, down 15.2 percent.
Year-to date carload traffic, at 12,186,829 units, was 2.9 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.
