U.S. intermodal, carload freight gain again

U.S. intermodal volume advanced 12.4% for the week ending April 9, 2011, measured against the comparable week in 2010, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday. U.S. carload freight traffic also rose in the comparable period, up 1.8%.

AAR said 11 of the 20 carload commodity groups posted increases from the comparable week in 2010. Gainers were led by metallic ores, up 59.2%, motor vehicles and equipment, up 28.9%, and grain, up 16.5%. Commodity groups declining during the week included primary forest products, down 33.2%, coke, down 16.7%, and waste and nonferrous scrap, down 12.8%.

Canadian carload freight increased 3.7% compared with last year, while Canadian intermodal mimicked U.S. gains, up 12.4%. Mexican carload freight volume rose 6.1% compared with the same week last year, while intermodal rose 4.7.

Combined North American carload freight volume for the first 14 weeks of 2011 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was up 4.1% compared with the same point last year, with intermodal up 8.2% compared with last year.