Freight carload traffic keeps gaining: AAR

U.S. freight carload traffic advanced 5.8% for the week ending November 13, measured against the comparable week one year ago, the Association of American Railroads reported Thursday. U.S. intermodal traffic also gained, up 11.9%, compared with the same week a year ago.

Sixteen of the 19 carload commodity groups measured by AAR increased from the comparable week in 2009. Big gainers included: metallic ores, up 164.7%; coke, up 30.1%; and metals and products, up 23.9%. The three commodity groups posting declines were nonmetallic minerals, down 19.2%, motor vehicles and equipment, down 14.8%, and primary forest products, down 6.2%.

Canadian freight carload traffic rose 8.0% from the same week one year ago, while intermodal advanced a stellar 19.1%. Mexican freight carload volume rose 10.1% from last year, while intermodal rose a nearly identical 10.0%.

Combined North American rail volume for the first 45 weeks of 2010 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was up 9.6% from last year, while intermodal traffic was up 14.9%.