US rail traffic for week ended May 24 rose 6.8% year-over-year to 300,936 carloads as intermodal volume rose 8.6% to 269,444 units; combined weekly US carloads, intermodal units were up 7.6% year-over-year: AAR

Cindy Allen

WASHINGTON , May 30, 2014 (press release) – The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported increased U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 24, 2014 with 300,936 total carloads, up 6.8 percent compared with the same week last year. Total U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 269,444 units, up 8.6 percent compared with the same week last year. Total combined U.S. weekly rail traffic was 570,380 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.6 percent compared with the same week last year.

Nine of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2013, including grain with 20,409 carloads, up 24.4 percent; nonmetallic minerals and products with 39,064 carloads, up 12.7 percent and, metallic ores and metals with 29,240 carloads, up 10.2 percent.

For the first 21 weeks of 2014, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,981,006 carloads, up 2.9 percent compared with the same point last year, and 5,322,963 intermodal units, up 5.6 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 21 weeks of 2014 was 11,303,969 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.2 percent from last year.

Canadian railroads reported 85,802 carloads for the week, up 11.9 percent, and 58,761 intermodal units, up 9.3 percent compared with the same week in 2013. For the first 21 weeks of 2014, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,604,623 carloads, down 2.9 percent from the same point last year, and 1,149,437 intermodal units, up 5.2 percent from last year.
Mexican railroads reported 16,643 carloads for the week, up 0.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,047 intermodal units, up 6.3 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 21 weeks of 2014 was 320,055 carloads, up 2 percent from the same point last year, and 204,176 intermodal units, up 2.7 percent from last year.
Combined North American rail volume for the first 21 weeks of 2014 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 7,905,684 carloads, up 1.6 percent compared with the same point last year, and 6,676,576 intermodal trailers and containers, up 5.5 percent compared with last year.

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For more information contact: Abigail Gardner, AARMedia@skdknick.com, 202-464-6603, 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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