AAR:

The Association of American Railroads today reported “mixed results” for July monthly rail traffic compared with the same month last year, with U.S. railroads originating 1,111,682 carloads, down 1%, and 895,649 trailers and containers, up 1.3%.

For July 2011, 12 of the 20 carload commodity categories saw increases compared with July 2010. The largest gains were in iron and steel scrap, up 32.9% or 4,623 carloads; metallic ores, up 22.4% or 6,999 carloads; and primary metal products, up 9.5% or 3,438 carloads. Coal had the largest decline this month, down 7.3% or 37,330 carloads, from July 2010. Excluding coal, U.S. rail carloads in July 2011 were up 4.3% over July 2010.

AAR also reported mixed results in weekly rail traffic, with U.S. railroads originating 292,812 carloads for the week ending July 30, 2011, down 2.0% compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 240,525 trailers and containers, up 3.3% compared with the same week last year. This week’s intermodal total was the highest volume in 2011.

Eleven of the 20 carload commodity groups posted increases from the comparable week in 2010, including: iron and steel scrap, up 40.1%; metallic ores, up 21.2%; and lumber and wood products, up 18.3%. Groups showing a decrease in weekly traffic included: waste and nonferrous scrap, down 17.7%; nonmetallic minerals, down 12.6%; and grain, down 9.0%.

Weekly carload volume on Eastern railroads was down 0.1% compared with the same week last year. In the West, weekly carload volume was down 3.2% compared with the same week in 2010.

For the first 30 weeks of 2011, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,650,909 carloads, up 2.2% from the same point last year, and 6,751,782 trailers and containers, up 6.9% from last year.

Canadian railroads reported 78,178 carloads for the week, up 5.8% compared with the same week last year, and 51,587 trailers and containers, up 0.8% compared with 2010. For the first 30 weeks of 2011, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,223,647 carloads, up 2.4% from the same point last year, and 1,414,514 trailers and containers, up 2.4% from last year.

Mexican railroads reported 15,723 carloads for the week, up 9.9% compared with the same week last year, and 9,281 trailers and containers, up 35.5%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 29 weeks of 2011 was 430,501 carloads, up 5.1% compared with the same period last year, and 238,672 trailers and containers, up 24.6%.

Combined North American rail volume for the first 30 weeks of 2011 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 11,305,057 carloads, up 2.4% compared with the same period last year, and 8,404,968 trailers and containers, up 6.5% compared with last year.

Railroads continued to add employees at a rate faster than most U.S. industries, with 1,818 new employees added during June. Total industry employment was up 5.2%, 7,813 employees, in June 2011 compared with June 2010. As of Aug. 1, 2011, 276,943 freight cars were in storage, up 707 cars from July 1 and equal to 18.2% of the North American fleet.