AAR: U.S. freight traffic up in latest week

U.S. freight carload traffic for the week ending Oct. 8 was up 2.1% measured agains the comarable week in 2010, the Association of American Railroads reported Thursday. U.S. intermodal volume for the same week also advanced, up 2.4%, compared with last year.

AAR said 11 of the 20 carload commodity groups it measures posted increases from the comparable week in 2010, including: petroleum products, up 28.3%; non-metallic minerals, up 19.6%; and motor vehicles and equipment, up 11.1%. Groups showing a decrease in weekly traffic included: farm products excluding grain, down 14.6%; and waste and nonferrous scrap, down 11.5%.

Canadian freight carload volume rose 6.7% for the week compared with one year ago, but Canadian intermodal declined 2%. Mexican freight carload volume gained 8.7% for the week ending Oct. 8 measured against the comparable 2010 week, while Mexican intermodal also rose, up 19.7%.

Combined North American freight carload volume for the first 40 weeks of 2011 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was up 2.1% compared with the same point last year, while intermodal registered a 5.2% gain compared with last year.