Intermodal paces U.S., North American gains

Combined North American intermodal volume for the week ending Sept. 24, 2011, including the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, was up 3.5% over last year, setting a record, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday. Freight carload volumes in each of the three countries also gained for the week.

U.S. freight carload traffic rose 1.1% for the week ending Sept. 24, measured against the comparable week in 2010, AAR said. U.S. intermodal also gained, up 3.0% compared with a year ago. The week’s U.S. intermodal volume was the highest since Week 39 of 2007, AAR noted.

AAR said 13 of the 20 U.S carload commodity groups it tracks posted increases from the comparable week in 2010, including: metallic ores, up 21%; petroleum products, up 16.1%, and metals and products, up 16%. Groups showing a decrease in weekly traffic included grain, down 21.4%, and waste and nonferrous scrap, down 15.5%.

Canadian freight carload volume was up 3.5% for the week compared with the same period in 2010, while intermodal also rose, up 2.5%. Mexican freight carload volume advanced 2.6% for the week, with intermodal up 24.4% compared with the comparable week of a year ago.

Combined North American freight carload volume for the first 38 weeks of 2011 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was up 2% compared with the first 38 weeks of 2010, while intermodal gained 5.3% over the comparable 2010 period.