U.S. freight traffic still notching moderate gains

U.S. freight carload traffic continued to record gains during the week ending Nov. 20, 2010, the Association of American Railroads reported Wednesday, up 3.9% compared with the same week in 2009. U.S. intermodal trafficrose a more robust 10.6%, continuing the show of strength intermodal has displayed throughout 2010.

AAR said 14 of the 19 carload commodity groups it measures increased from the comparable week in 2009. Commodities posting double-digit gains in loadings included: metallic ores, up 76.7%; metals, up 22.3%; crushed stone, sand, and gravel, up 21.1%; and farm products other than grain, up 14.5%.

Among commodities reporting declines, nonmetallic minerals was hit hardest, down 26.1%. But AAR noted that for the first 46 weeks of 2010, all 19 commodity groups are cumulatively ahead of where they were at this point year ago.

Canadian freight carload traffic advanced 5.0% for the week ending Nov. 20, while intermodal rose 12.8% from levels of one year ago. Mexico’s two major railroads reported freight carload traffic rose 6.3% from the same week last year, while intermodal rose a relatively modest 1.8%.

Combined North American rail volume for the first 46 weeks of 2010 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was up 9.4% from 2009, while intermodal rose 14.8% over last year’s levels.