AAR Reports Gains in Weekly Rail Traffic
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nov. 23, 2011 – The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported gains in weekly rail traffic, with U.S. railroads originating 301,919 carloads for the week ending Nov. 19, 2011, up 1.1 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 243,234 trailers and containers, up 3 percent compared with the same week last year.
Eleven of the 20 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2010, including: nonmetallic minerals up 30.6 percent; petroleum products, up 21.3 percent, and motor vehicles and equipment, up 16.3 percent. The groups showing a decrease in weekly traffic included: primary forest products, down 13.8; farm products, excluding grain down 12.4, and grain, down 11.9 percent.
Weekly carload volume on Eastern railroads was down 1.2 percent compared with the same week last year. In the West, weekly carload volume was up 2.7 percent compared with the same week in 2010.
For the first 46 weeks of 2011, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 13,444,752 carloads, up 1.8 percent from the same point last year, and 10,584,178 trailers and containers, up 5.2 percent from last year.
Canadian railroads reported 76,274 carloads for the week, up 0.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 49,202 trailers and containers, up 1 percent compared with 2010. For the first 46 weeks of 2011, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,475,475 carloads, up 2.8 percent from the same point last year, and 2,225,256 trailers and containers, up 1.6 percent from last year.
Mexican railroads reported 14,754 carloads for the week, up 12.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 9,501 trailers and containers, up 41.8 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 46 weeks of 2011 was 658,479 carloads, up 4.3 percent compared with the same point last year, and 383,494 trailers and containers, up 22.4 percent.
Combined North American rail volume for the first 46 weeks of 2011 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 17,578,706 carloads, up 2.1 percent compared with the same point last year, and 13,192,928 trailers and containers, up 5 percent compared with last year.
