U.S. freight traffic posts gains in latest week

U.S. freight carload traffic rose 6.8% in the week ending December 4, measured against the comparable week in 2009, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday. Intermodal traffic for the rose 13.8%, compared with the same week in 2009, with container volume up 15.3% and trailer volume up 6.5%. 

AAR said 13 of the 19 carload commodity groups increased from the comparable week in 2009, led by: metallic ores, up 64%; metals and products, up 25.3%; crushed stone, sand, and gravel, up 24.4%; and waste and scrap materials, up 22.7%; Declines included non-metallic minerals, down 10.1%, and primary forest products, down 9%.

Canadian freight carload volume advanced a healthy 22.2% from last year’s levels, with Canadian intermodal almost matching that percentage gain, up 21.4%. Mexico’s two major railroads reported freight carload volume up 10.2%, while intermodal rose 8.3%.

Combined North American rail volume for the first 48 weeks of 2010 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was up 9.3% from last year, and intermodal was up 14.8% from the comparable period in 2009.