US railroads report 289,256 carloads in week ended Oct. 19, up 0.2% from a year ago, intermodal volume of 264,687 units, up 4.3%; Canadian railroads report 81,870 carloads for week, up 4.9% from a year ago, 57,917 intermodal units, up 8.5%: AAR

Cindy Allen

WASHINGTON , October 24, 2013 (press release) – The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported increased weekly rail traffic for the week ending October 19, 2013 with total U.S. weekly carloads of 289,256 carloads, up 0.2 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 264,687 units, up 4.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and up for the 16th straight week in a row. Total U.S. rail traffic for the week was 553,943 combined carloads and intermodal units, up 2.1 percent compared with the same week last year.

Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2012, including petroleum and petroleum products with 13,644 carloads, up 15.5 percent; and grain, with 22,360 carloads, up 9.6 percent. Commodities showing a decrease compared with the same week last year included coal with 108,469 carloads, down 6.0 percent.

For the first 42 weeks of 2013, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 11,794,294 carloads, down 0.9 percent from the same point last year, and 10,339,870 intermodal units, up 3.7 percent from last year. Total U.S. traffic for the first 42 weeks of 2013 was 22,134,164 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.2 percent from last year.

Canadian railroads reported 81,870 carloads for the week, up 4.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 57,917 intermodal units, up 8.5 percent compared with 2012. For the first 42 weeks of 2013, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,310,961 carloads, up 2.1 percent from the same point last year, and 2,262,772 intermodal units, up 4.3 percent from last year.

Mexican railroads reported 15,120 carloads for the week, up 13.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,785 intermodal units, up 5.5 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 42 weeks of 2013 was 640,199 carloads, up 7.0 percent from the same point last year, and 424,519 intermodal units, up 1.0 percent from last year.

Combined North American rail volume for the 42 weeks of 2013 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 15,745,454 carloads, unchanged compared with the same point last year, and 13,027,161 trailers and containers, up 3.7 percent compared with last year.

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