US freight railroads continue to post weekly rail traffic gains over 2009 levels, with 297,269 carloads for the week ending 13 November 2010, up 5.8% compared with the same week last year, according to a new report.
The Association of American Railroads report noted that the intermodal traffic for the week totalled 232,888 trailers and containers, up 11.9% over the same week a year ago, with container volume up by 12.8% and trailer volume 7.5%.
Sixteen of the 19 carload commodity groups increased from the comparable week in 2009, with significant gains in metallic ores, up 164.7%, coke, up 30.1%, and metals and products, up 23.9%.
Carload volume on eastern railroads was up 2.4%, while in the west, carload volume was up 8%.
For the first 45 weeks of 2010, US railroads reported a cumulative volume of 12,909,986 carloads, up 7.2% from last year, and 9,828,447 trailers or containers, up 14.5% from the same period in 2009.
Canadian railroads reported a volume of 77,578 cars for the week, up 8% from last year, and 49,298 trailers or containers, up 19.1% from 2009, while Mexican railroads reported an originated volume of 13,973 cars, up 10.1%, and 7,487 trailers or containers, up 10%.
Combined North American rail volume for the first 45 weeks of 2010 on 13 reporting US, Canadian and Mexican railroads totalled 16,826,445 carloads, up 9.6% from last year, and 12,271,612 trailers and containers, up 14.9% from last year.
