U.S. carload gains continue for fourth straight week

For the fourth consecutive week, including the latest week ended March 20, freight traffic on U.S. railroads was up compared with the same period a year ago according to the Association of American Railroads.

U.S. railroads originated 287,639 carloads during the week, up 4.3% from the comparable week in 2009, though still down 10.7% from 2008, prior to the onset of severe recession. Intermodal traffic totaled 201,300 trailers and containers, up 9.5% from last year but also down 4.6% compared with 2008. Total volume for the week was estimated at 31.3 billion ton-miles,up 5.4% from last year but down 7.7% from 2008.

U.S. railroads in the West saw traffic gain 5.9% compared with the same week last year, but off 7.8% compared with 2008. In the East, freight carloads were up 2.1% compared with 2009, but down 14.6% compared with 2008.

Sixteen of 19 carload commodity groups showed gains from ayear ago, with 13 of them showing double-digit gains, led by a 69.2% increase in loadings of metals and products. Other gainers included grain, up 24%; motor vehicles, up 20.8%; waste and scrap, up 33.1%; lumber and wood products, up 21.8%, and chemicals, up 14.4%. Coal loadings continued to lag behind as per recent weeks, down 6.4% during the week ended March 20, while pulp, paper, and allied products slipped 6.1%.

Canadian railroads reported volume rose 21.1% from last year, while intermodal climbed 12.8% from 2009. Mexico’s two major railroads reported carload freight trafficc rose 10.4% while intermodal soared, up 63.3%.

Combined North American rail volume for the first 11 weeks of 2010 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 3,941,811 carloads, up 3.6% from last year, and 2,772,992 trailers and containers, up 8.7% from last year.