Rail Freight Traffic Continues to Gain Momentum

"The Association of American Railroads said today that signs of recovery in U.S. freight rail traffic continue to gain momentum, with carload volume last week reaching its highest level since the week ended December 6, 2008. U.S. railroads originated 296,599 carloads during the week ended April 17, 2010, up 16.1 percent from the comparable week in 2009. However, volume was still down 11.6 percent from the same week in 2008. In order to offer a complete picture of the progress in rail traffic, AAR now reports 2010 weekly rail traffic with comparison weeks in both 2009 and 2008.

Intermodal traffic totaled 209,903 trailers and containers, up 14.6 percent from last year but down 6.3 percent compared with 2008. Compared with the same week in 2009, container volume increased 16.7 percent while trailer volume gained 4 percent. Compared with the same week in 2008, container volume was up 1.6 percent while trailer volume fell 35.3 percent.

Eighteen of 19 carload commodity groups were up from last year, led by a 177.5 percent jump in loadings of metallic ores. Other notable increases included 68.8 percent for metals, 49 percent for motor vehicles and equipment, 46.4 percent for nonmetallic minerals and 34.5 percent for primary forest products. Grain was up 12.2 percent, and coal gained 9.6 percent. The only commodity registering a decline was pulp, paper and allied products, off 6.7 percent."