AAR: Christmas week freight traffic surges

U.S. freight carload traffic for the holiday week ending Dec. 25 rose sharply, up 29.3%, compared with the same week in 2009, the Association of American Railroads reported Thursday. U.S. intermodal traffic also was robust, up 25.1% compared to the same week in 2009. AAR noted, “Both the current week and the comparison week from 2009 included the holiday; however, Christmas 2010 fell on a Saturday while Christmas 2009 fell on a Friday.”

AAR said 17 of the 19 carload commodity groups increased from the comparable week in 2009, with all posting double-digit gains in loadings. Leading the gainers were metallic ores, up 65%, and crushed stone, sand, and gravel, up 55%. Commodities reporting declines were non-metallic minerals, down 18.7%, and grain mill products, down 2%.

Canadian freight carload traffic also did well, up 21.55 from 2009, while Canadian intermodal traffic rose 28%. Mexico’s two major railroads reported freight carload traffic rose 20.8% from the comparable 2009 week, while intermodal gained a more modest 3.6%.

Combined North American rail volume for the first 51 weeks of 2010 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was up 9.4% from 2009, and 13,872,094 trailers and containers, up 14.7% from last year.