AAR Reports Mixed Weekly Rail Traffic
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AAR Reports Mixed Weekly Rail Traffic
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Feb. 16, 2012 – The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported an mixed weekly rail traffic for the week ending February 11, 2012, with U.S. railroads originating 279,501 carloads, up 1.7 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 227,207 trailers and containers, down 0.4 percent compared with the same week last year.
Twelve of the 20 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2011, with petroleum products, up 29.9 percent; crushed stone, sand and gravel, up 27.2 percent, and metallic ores, up 23.7 percent. The groups showing a significant decrease in weekly traffic included nonmetallic minerals, down 26.3 percent, and farm products excluding grain, down 21.5 percent.
Weekly carload volume on Eastern railroads was down 4.1 percent compared with the same week last year. In the West, weekly carload volume was up 5.7 percent compared with the same week in 2011.
For the first six weeks of 2012, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,708,847 carloads, up 1.3 percent from last year, and 1,337,434 trailers and containers, up 3.7 percent from last year.
Canadian railroads reported 77,735 carloads for the week, up 11.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 53,074 trailers and containers, up 10.9 percent compared with 2011. For the first six weeks of 2012, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 444,253 carloads, up 6.7 percent from the same point last year, and 289,629 trailers and containers, up 6.5 percent from last year.
Mexican railroads reported 13,176 carloads for the week, down 2.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 8,694 trailers and containers, up 20.5 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first six weeks of 2012 is 76,801 carloads, down 9.7 percent compared to last year, and 52,423 trailers and containers, up 23 percent.
Combined North American rail volume for the first six weeks of 2012 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 2,229,901 carloads, up 1.9 percent compared to last year, and 1,679,486 trailers and containers, up 4.6 percent compared with last year.
Weekly Rail Traffic Charts (PDF)
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For more information contact: Holly Arthur, harthur@aar.org, 202-639-2344 or Nell Callahan, ncallahan@skdknick.com, 202-464-6913.
About AAR: The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the world's leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers. AAR members include the major freight railroads of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, as well as Amtrak. Learn more at www.aar.org. Follow us on Twitter: AAR_FreightRail or Facebook: www.facebook.com/freightrail.