US railroads originated 252,931 carloads in week ended Nov. 24, down 4.6% from same week a year ago; Canadian railroads reported 77,180 carloads for the week, up 3.1% from a year ago: AAR

Cindy Allen

WASHINGTON , November 29, 2012 (press release) – The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported mixed weekly rail traffic for the week ending November 24, 2012, with U.S. railroads originating 252,931 carloads, down 4.6 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 194,538 trailers and containers, up 1.9 percent compared with the same week last year.

Twelve of the 20 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2011, with petroleum products, up 63.6 percent; farm products excluding grain, up 24.8 percent, and lumber and wood products, up 17.1 percent. The groups showing a decrease in weekly traffic included metallic ores, down 24.7 percent; grain, down 16.7 percent, and coal, down 12.2 percent.

Weekly carload volume on Eastern railroads was down 8.2 percent compared with the same week last year. In the West, weekly carload volume was down 2.6 percent compared with the same week in 2011.

For the first 47 weeks of 2012, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 13,290,121 carloads, down 3.1 percent from the same point last year, and 11,137,923 trailers and containers, up 3.4 percent from last year.

Canadian railroads reported 77,180 carloads for the week, up 3.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 50,567 trailers and containers, up 5.4 percent compared with 2011. For the first 47 weeks of 2012, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,631,321 carloads, up 2.2 percent from the same point last year, and 2,434,448 trailers and containers, up 6.9 percent from last year.

Mexican railroads reported 14,418 carloads for the week, up 8.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,556 trailers and containers, up 20.3 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 47 weeks of 2012 is 678,131 carloads, up 0.6 percent compared with the same point last year, and 472,806 trailers and containers, up 19.8 percent from last year.

Combined North American rail volume for the first 47 weeks of 2012 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 17,599,573 carloads, down 1.9 percent compared with the same point last year, and 14,045,177 trailers and containers, up 4.5 percent compared with last year.

Weekly Rail Traffic Charts (PDF)

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For more information contact: Nell Callahan, 202-464-6913, or Abigail Gardner, 202-464-6603, at AARMedia@skdknick.com , or Holly Arthur, harthur@aar.org, 202-639-2344.

About AAR: The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the world's leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers. AAR members include the major freight railroads of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, as well as Amtrak. Learn more at www.aar.org. Follow us on Twitter: AAR_FreightRail or Facebook: www.facebook.com/freightrail.

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