AAR Reports Slight Gains for Weekly Rail Traffic

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AAR Reports Slight Gains for Weekly Rail Traffic

Cumulative 33-week volume up for Carloads, Intermodal

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Aug. 25, 2011 – The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported gains  for weekly rail traffic, with U.S. railroads originating 300,521 carloads for the week ending August 20, 2011, up 1.1 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 238,680 trailers and containers, up 1 percent compared with the same week last year.

Fourteen of the 20 carload commodity groups posted increases from the comparable week in 2010, including: metallic ores, up 24.7 percent; iron and steel scrap, up 15.8 percent, and petroleum products, up 15 percent. Groups showing a decrease in weekly traffic included: grain, down 21.3 percent, and farm products excluding grain, down 14.5 percent.

Weekly carload volume on Eastern railroads was up 1.3 percent compared with the same week last year. In the West, weekly carload volume was up 0.9 percent compared with the same week in 2010.

For the first 33 weeks of 2011, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 9,531,017 carloads, up 2 percent from the same point last year, and 7,461,628 trailers and containers, up 6.3 percent from last year.

Canadian railroads reported 78,212 carloads for the week, up 9.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 51,890 trailers and containers, up 1.4 percent compared with 2010. For the first 33 weeks of 2011, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,449,585 carloads, up 2.7 percent from the same point last year, and 1,564,448 trailers and containers, up 2 percent from last year.

Mexican railroads reported 14,010 carloads for the week, up 4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 9,624 trailers and containers, up 33 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 33 weeks of 2011 was 472,817 carloads, up 4.9 percent compared with the same point last year, and 267,267 trailers and containers, up 25.4 percent.

Combined North American rail volume for the first 33 weeks of 2011 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 12,453,419 carloads, up 2.3 percent compared with the same point last year, and 9,293,343 trailers and containers, up 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.