America's Moving Again: Rail Traffic Last Week Reached The Highest Level Since Fall 2008

From today's Association of American Railroads report:

"Intermodal volume on U.S. freight railroads for the week ended May 15, 2010, reached its highest level since the 47th week of 2008. Carloadings last week also saw gains, with 18 of 19 commodity groups showing increases from the comparable week in 2009.  U.S. railroads originated 290,263 carloads during the week ended May 15, up 16.6 percent from the comparable week in 2009, but down 11.9 percent from 2008. 

Intermodal traffic totaled 218,206 trailers and containers, up 15.2 percent from last year but down 6.7 percent from 2008. Compared with the same week in 2009, container volume increased 16.8 percent while trailer volume rose 6.9 percent. Compared with the same week in 2008, container volume was up 0.8 percent while trailer volume fell 34.6 percent.

Of the 18 carload commodity groups showing increases from last year, 14 experienced significant percentage gains, led by a 140.9 percent increase in loadings of metallic ores. Loadings of metals were up 82.9 percent, coke jumped 49 percent and waste and scrap rose 31.1 percent. Other notable increases included motor vehicles, up 59 percent; crushed stone, sand and gravel, up 20.1 percent; grain up 14.8 percent; chemicals, up 12.1 percent; and coal, up 9.5 percent. Pulp, paper and allied products each declined by 2.8 percent."