Record gains for weekly carload traffic: AAR

U.S. freight carload traffic notched “record gains” for the week ending April 2, 2011, up 5.7% over the comparable week in 2010, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday. The week’s carload total is the highest since late 2008, AAR said.

U.S. intermodal volume for the week also rose, up 19.4% compared with the same week last year. The comparison week from 2010 includes the Good Friday holiday, AAR noted.

AAR said 15 of the 20 carload commodity groups posted increases led by motor vehicles and equipment, up 25.7%, metallic ores, up 23.4%, and metals and products, up 19.5%. Decliners included primary forest products, down 29.3%, and waste and nonferrous scrap, down 12.4%.

Canadian freight carload traffic rose 11% for the week compared with last year, with intermodal up a similar 11.1% from the 2010 week. Mexican freight carload traffic soared 40.5% compared with the same week last year, AAR said, while intermodal also rocketed ahead, up 38.1%.

Combined North American freight carload volume for the first 13 weeks of 2011 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was up 4.2% compared with the same point last year, while intermodal rose 7.9%.