U.S. freight traffic starts 2011 well
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefU.S. freight carload traffic rose 20.1%, and U.S. intermodal gained 8.6%, in the first week of 2011, ending January 8, compared with 2010’s first week, the Association of American Railroads reports.
AAR noted several changes to the carload commodity groups took effect with its first report of the year, including the addition of two new groups, Iron and Steel Scrap (Group 18) and Waste and Nonferrous Scrap (Group 19).
Fifteen of AAR’s 20 carload commodity groups increased from the comparable week in 2010. Leading those gaining groups were metallic ores, up 55.7%, and crushed stone, sand and gravel, up 54.3%. Commodities reporting declines included waste and nonferrous scrap, down 9.5%, nonmetallic minerals, down 8.9%, grain mill products, down 1.0%, pulp, paper and allied products, down 0.3%, and coke, down 0.2%.
Canadian freight carload volume rose 5.4% for the week compared with the first week of 2010, while intermodal gained 3.4%. Mexican freight carload volume slipped 1.1% for the week, but intermodal advanced 2.9%.
Combined North American freight carload traffic for the first week of 2011 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads rose 16.1% from last year, while intermodal climbed 7.5% above comparable 2010 levels.
