US rail traffic for week ended Nov. 16 rises 2.4% from a year ago to 295,563 carloads as intermodal volume climbs 7% to 266,643 units; Canadian railroads report 82,153 carloads for week, up 4.4% from a year ago, 56,608 intermodal units, up 5.5%: AAR

Cindy Allen

WASHINGTON , November 21, 2013 (press release) – The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported increased U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Nov. 16, 2013 with 295,563 total U.S. carloads, up 2.4 percent compared with the same week last year. Total U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 266,643 units, up 7.0 percent compared with the same week last year, and up for the 20th straight week in a row. Total combined U.S. weekly rail traffic was 562,206 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.5 percent compared with the same week last year.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2012, including grain with 24,104 carloads, up 23.5 percent; and petroleum and petroleum products with 15,123 carloads, up 21.6 percent. Commodities showing a decrease compared with the same week last year included coal with 113,334 carloads, down 5.0 percent.

For the first 46 weeks of 2013, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 12,977,291 carloads, down 0.5 percent from the same point last year, and 11,397,267 intermodal units, up 4.1 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 46 weeks of 2013 was 24,374,558 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.6 percent from last year.

Canadian railroads reported 82,153 carloads for the week, up 4.4 percent, and 56,608 intermodal units, up 5.5 percent compared with the same week in 2012. For the first 46 weeks of 2013, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,638,705 carloads, up 2.3 percent from the same point last year, and 2,483,394 intermodal units, up 4.3 percent from last year.

Mexican railroads reported 15,680 carloads for the week, up 3.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,135 intermodal units, down 11.0 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 46 weeks of 2013 was 701,083 carloads, up 6.6 percent from the same point last year, and 463,962 intermodal units, up 0.1 percent from last year.

Combined North American rail volume for the 46 weeks of 2013 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 17,317,079 carloads, up 0.4 percent compared with the same point last year, and 14,344,623 intermodal trailers and containers, up 4.0 percent compared with last year.

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