AAR Reports Increase in Weekly Rail Traffic
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Jan. 26, 2012 – The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported an increase in weekly rail traffic for the week ending January 21, 2012, with U.S. railroads originating 287,734 carloads, up 1.6 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 219,706 trailers and containers, up 3 percent compared with the same week last year.
Fourteen of the 20 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2011, with metallic ores, up 50.8 percent; petroleum products, up 26.8 percent, and motor vehicles and equipment, up 16.7 percent. The groups showing a significant decrease in weekly traffic included grain, down 10.7 percent, and farm products excluding grain, down 10.5 percent.
Weekly carload volume on Eastern railroads was down 1.5 percent compared with the same week last year. In the West, weekly carload volume was up 3.6 percent compared with the same week in 2011.
For the first three weeks of 2012, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 861,146 carloads, up 1.1 percent from last year, and 642,609 trailers and containers, up 0.4 percent from last year.
Canadian railroads reported 68,366 carloads for the week, up 3.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 48,092 trailers and containers, up 4.8 percent compared with 2011. For the first three weeks of 2012, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 213,866 carloads, up 3.2 percent from the same point last year, and 138,377 trailers and containers, up 3.4 percent from last year.
Mexican railroads reported 13,658 carloads for the week, down 11 percent compared with the same week last year, and 9,007 trailers and containers, up 27.6 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first three weeks of 2012 is 36,408 carloads, down 15.9 percent compared to last year, and 24,718 trailers and containers, up 21.8 percent.
Combined North American rail volume for the first three weeks of 2012 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 1,111,420 carloads, up 0.8 percent compared to last year, and 805,704 trailers and containers, up 1.4 percent compared with last year.
