U.S. freight traffic up in latest week, month

U.S. freight carload traffic rose a solid 5.2% during the week ending Oct. 29, measured against the comparable week in 2010, the Association of American Railroads reported. U.S. intermodal volume also advanced strongly, up 4.6% compared with the same week last year.

AAR Thursday said 14 of the 20 carload commodity groups it measures posted increases compared with the same week in 2010, including: iron and steel scrap, up 23.5%; petroleum products, up 20.5%; and metallic ores, up 20.1%. Declines were logged in waste and nonferrous scrap, down 14.5%, and grain, down 5.3%.

Canadian freight carload volume gained in similar fashion, up 5.1% compared with the same week last year, with Canadian intermodal volume up 3.4. Mexican freight carload volume spoiled the winning streak, down 4.5% compared with the same week last year, and Mexican intermodal volume also fell, down 5.2%.

AAR stressed as well that October was a good month for U.S. freight traffic, with freight carload volume up 1.7% and intermodal up 3.6%. Last month logged the highest weekly freight carload average of any month since October 2008, AAR said, with intermodal registering the highest average since October 2006.

“While there is clearly room for improvement, October rail traffic appears to indicate that we are still in a slowly growing economy,” said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray.

Combined North American rail volume for the first 43 weeks of 2011 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was up 2.1% measured against the comparable 2010 period, while intermodal was up 5% compared with last year.