Weekly Rail Traffic Maintains Steady Growth

"The Association of American Railroads today reported that weekly rail traffic continues to maintain a steady pace with U.S. railroads originating 299,394 carloads for the week ending Oct. 2, 2010, up 7.7% compared with the same week in 2009, but down 10.7% from the same week in 2008. In order to offer a complete picture of the progress in rail traffic, AAR reports 2010 weekly rail traffic with comparison weeks in both 2009 and 2008.

Intermodal traffic on U.S. railroads totaled 240,252 trailers and containers, up 16.5% from the same week in 2009, but down 1.9% compared with 2008. Container volume last week increased 17.6% compared with 2009, and rose 5.8% compared with 2008. Trailer volume last week rose 10.2% compared with 2009, but dropped 30.6% compared with 2008."

MP: For 2010 year-t0-date (39 weeks), carload rail volume is up by 7.2% and intermodal rail traffic is up by 14.7%. This marks the 38th straight week starting in mid-January of improvements in intermodal rail traffic compared to the same week in 2009, and except for a holiday-related decline in July, carload volume has increased for the last 32 weeks starting in late February. 

Rail traffic for all of North America (U.S., Canada and Mexico) is up by 9.8% year-to-date for carloads and 15.2% for intermodal units. The ongoing improvements in rail traffic this year are consistent with an economy that is steadily expanding and growing, and that growth is gradually increasing the demand for the inputs, raw materials, commodities, minerals and chemicals that move around the country by freight.