US rail traffic in week ended Sept. 21 falls 1.5% year-over-year to 288,160 carloads as intermodal volume rises 3.4% to 262,897 units; Canadian railroads report 85,635 carloads for week, up 6.5% year-over-year, 56,946 intermodal units, down 1.5%: AAR

Cindy Allen

WASHINGTON , September 27, 2013 (press release) – The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported mixed weekly rail traffic for the week ending September 21, 2013 with total U.S. weekly carloads of 288,160 carloads, down 1.5 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 262,897 units, up 3.4 percent compared with the same week last year. Total U.S. rail traffic for the week was 551,057 combined carloads and intermodal units, up 0.8 percent compared with the same week last year.

Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2012, led by petroleum and petroleum products, with 12,767 carloads or 8.0 percent. Commodities showing a decrease compared with the same week last year included grain, with 15,684 carloads, down 21.3 percent.

For the first 38 weeks of 2013, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 10,643,729 carloads, down 1.0 percent from the same point last year, and 9,277,911 intermodal units, up 3.7 percent from last year. Total U.S. traffic for the first 38 weeks of 2013 was 19,921,640 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.1 percent from last year.

Canadian railroads reported 85,635 carloads for the week, up 6.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 56,946 intermodal units, down 1.5 percent compared with 2012. For the first 38 weeks of 2013, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,970,089 carloads, up 1.6 percent from the same point last year, and 2,028,641 intermodal units, up 4.0 percent from last year.

Mexican railroads reported 12,839 carloads for the week, down 12.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,242 intermodal units, down 10.8 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 38 weeks of 2013 is 581,857 carloads, up 7.7 percent from the same point last year, and 378,717 intermodal units, up 1.2 percent from last year.

Combined North American rail volume for the 38 weeks of 2013 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 14,195,675 carloads, down 0.1 percent compared with the same point last year, and 11,685,269 trailers and containers, up 3.6 percent compared with last year.

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