Different mix for U.S. freight traffic

U.S. freight traffic, gaining strength during May and June, ended the first half of 2013 in a "mixed" pattern, the Association of American Railroads noted – but a mirror-image opposite of the usual.

U.S. freight carload traffic for the week ending June 29, 2013 rose 1% measured against the comparable week in 2012, AAR said. Surprisingly contrary to a long-running trend, U.S. intermodal volume slipped for the week, down 1.5%, compared with 2012. Total U.S. traffic declined 0.2%.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups AAR tracksposted increases compared with the same week in 2012, led once again by petroleum and petroleum products, up 26.6% Commodities showing a decrease compared with the same week last year again included grain, down 13.8%.

Canadian freight carload volume for the week ending June 29 slid 3.8% measured against the comparable week in 2012, while Canadian intermodal volume also declined, down 1.2%. Mexican freight carload volume, by contrast, rose 13.9% during the week, while Mexican intermodal volume edged modestly lower, down 0.1%.

Combined North American freight carload volume for the 26 weeks of 2013 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was down 0.4% compared with the same point in 203. Combined North American intermodal volume was up 3.7%.