US railroads originated 272,301 carloads in latest week, down 2.3% from same week a year ago; Canadian railroads reported 76,490 carloads, up 2% year-over-year: AAR

Cindy Allen

BELLVUE, Washington , September 13, 2012 (press release) – The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported mixed weekly rail traffic for the week ending September 8, 2012, with U.S. railroads originating 272,301 carloads, down 2.3 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 214,517 trailers and containers, up 3.1 percent compared with the same week last year.

Eleven of the 20 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2011, with petroleum products, up 64.2 percent; farm products excluding grain, up 61.4 percent, and crushed stone, sand and gravel, up 15.2 percent. The groups showing a decrease in weekly traffic included iron and steel scrap, down 21.8 percent; metallic ores, down 16.7 percent, and waste and nonferrous scrap, down 15.1 percent.

Weekly carload volume on Eastern railroads was down 4 percent compared with the same week last year. In the West, weekly carload volume was down 1.2 percent compared with the same week in 2011.

For the first 36 weeks of 2012, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 10,162,532 carloads, down 2.4 percent from the same point last year, and 8,441,310 trailers and containers, up 3.7 percent from last year.

Canadian railroads reported 76,490 carloads for the week, up 2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 49,687 trailers and containers, up 7.3 percent compared with 2011. For the first 36 weeks of 2012, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,760,023 carloads, up 2.8 percent from the same point last year, and 1,838,589 trailers and containers, up 6.9 percent from last year.

Mexican railroads reported 14,471 carloads for the week, up 5.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,553 trailers and containers, up 5.8 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 36 weeks of 2012 is 514,448 carloads, down 0.3 percent compared with the same point last year, and 349,454 trailers and containers, up 18.1 percent from last year.

Combined North American rail volume for the first 36 weeks of 2012 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 13,437,003 carloads, down 1.3 percent compared with the same point last year, and 10,629,353 trailers and containers, up 4.7 percent compared with last year.

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