US rail traffic in week ended Dec. 28 rises 8.1% year-over-year to 230,933 carloads as intermodal volume climbs 10.6% to 172,396 units; Canadian railroads report 59,830 carloads for week, down 0.4% from a year ago, 37,662 intermodal units, up 8.1%: AAR

Cindy Allen

WASHINGTON , January 2, 2014 (press release) – The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported increased U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Dec. 28, 2013 with 230,933 total U.S. carloads, up 8.1 percent compared with the same week last year. Total U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 172,396 units up 10.6 percent compared with the same week last year. Total combined U.S. weekly rail traffic was 403,329 carloads and intermodal units, up 9.2 percent compared with the same week last year.

Nine of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2012, including grain with 18,201 carloads, up 36.8 percent; petroleum and petroleum products with 13,532 carloads, up 29.8 percent; and nonmetallic minerals and products with 19,174 carloads, up 14.3 percent. Commodities showing a decrease compared with the same week last year included metallic ores and metals with 22,064 carloads, down 7.2 percent.

For the 52 weeks of 2013, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 14,608,403 carloads, down 0.5 percent from the same point last year, and 12,831,692 intermodal units, up 4.6 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the 52 weeks of 2013 was 27,440,095 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.8 percent from last year.

Canadian railroads reported 59,830 carloads for the week, down 0.4 percent, and 37,662 intermodal units, up 8.1 percent compared with the same week in 2012. For the 52 weeks of 2013, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 4,083,936 carloads, up 1.8 percent from the same point last year, and 2,790,389 intermodal units, up 4.5 percent from last year.

Mexican railroads reported 9,690 carloads for the week, down 6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 5,775 intermodal units, down 9.6 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the 52 weeks of 2013 was 787,941 carloads, up 6.1 percent from the same point last year, and 518,804 intermodal units, down 0.4 percent from last year.

Combined North American rail volume for the 52 weeks of 2013 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 19,480,280 carloads, up 0.2 percent compared with the same point last year, and 16,140,885 intermodal trailers and containers, up 4.4 percent compared with last year.

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