AAR: Strong intermodal gains continue
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefU.S. intermodal freight traffic for the week ending September 18 marked a record for the year, and rose 16.9% when measured against the comparable week in 2009, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday. Intermodal also gained 2.4% over the comparable week in 2008.
Within the intermodal sector, U.S. container volume gained 18.8% for the week over 2009, and was up 11.4% for the week compared with the 2008 period.
U.S. freight carload traffic also gained when compared to the 2009 period, up 8.1%, though it still trailed 2008 levels by 2.4%. Seventeen of the 19 carload commodity groups listed by AAR increased from the comparable week in 2009 with only waste and scrap and non-metallic minerals, both down 3.3%, posting declines. Metallic ores, up 94.6%, led those commodity groups with increases from 2009. Compared with 2008, only six commodity groups registered gains, including farm products excluding grain, up 23.8%; chemicals, up 23.5%; and grain, up 20.5%.
Canadian freight carload traffic rose 10.9% for the week compared with 2009, while intermodal advanced 14.4%. Mexico’s two major railroads reported freight carload traffic up 11.7% over the comparable week in 2009, while intermodal rose 10.6%.
Combined North American freight carload volume for the first 37 weeks of 2010 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was up 9.8%, while intermodal notched a 15.1% increase.
