U.S. freight traffic up in 2011

U.S. freight carload traffic advanced 4.7% during the week ended January 29, compared with the same week in 2010, The Association of American Railroads (AAR) said Thursday. U.S. intermodal volume also rose, up a healthy 9.2%, in the same week.

AAR said 14 of the 20 carload commodity groups saw increases from the comparable week in 2010. Leading the gainers: farm products excluding grain, up 37.2%; metallic ores, up 17.7%; metals and products, up 13.5%; petroleum products, up 12.7%; and pulp, paper and allied products, up 11.4%. Declines were led by waste and nonferrous scrap, down 11.6%, and nonmetallic minerals, down 10.4%.

Canadian freight carload volume for the week rose 3.6% compared with the same week last year, while intermodal advanced 6.6%. Mexican freight carload volume for the fourth week of 2011 was up 13.1% compared with the same week last year, while intermodal also gained, up 10.3%.

Combined North American freight carload volume for the first four weeks of 2011 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was up 6% compared with the same period last year, while intermodal was up 6.5%.