U.S. railroads originate 265,304 carloads for week ending Nov. 26, up 4% year-over-year; intermodal volume totaled 190,866 trailers, containers, up 3.7%: AAR

Alison Gallant

WASHINGTON , December 1, 2011 (press release) – The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported gains in weekly rail traffic, with U.S. railroads originating 265,304 carloads for the week ending Nov. 26, 2011, up 4 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 190,866 trailers and containers, up 3.7 percent compared with the same week last year.

Ten of the 20 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2010, including: motor vehicles and equipment, up 42 percent; crushed stone, sand and gravel, up 30.3 percent, and petroleum products, up 28.4 percent. The groups showing a significant decrease in weekly traffic included: farm products excluding grain, down 18.1 percent, and waste and nonferrous scrap, down 10.8 percent.

Weekly carload volume on Eastern railroads was up 1.8 percent compared with the same week last year. In the West, weekly carload volume was up 5.3 percent compared with the same week in 2010.

For the first 47 weeks of 2011, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 13,710,056 carloads, up 1.8 percent from the same point last year, and 10,775,044 trailers and containers, up 5.1 percent from last year.

Canadian railroads reported 74,736 carloads for the week, up 10.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 48,037 trailers and containers, up 5.7 percent compared with 2010. For the first 47 weeks of 2011, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,550,211 carloads, up 3 percent from the same point last year, and 2,273,293 trailers and containers, up 1.7 percent from last year.

Mexican railroads reported 13,170 carloads for the week, down 11.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 8,601 trailers and containers, up 3.7 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 47 weeks of 2011 was 671,649 carloads, up 3.9 percent compared with the same point last year, and 392,095 trailers and containers, up 22 percent.

Combined North American rail volume for the first 47 weeks of 2011 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 17,931,916 carloads, up 2.1 percent compared with the same point last year, and 13,440,432 trailers and containers, up 5 percent compared with last year.

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