(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, November 27, 2013)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported increased U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Nov. 23, 2013, with 296,581 total carloads, up 17.4 percent compared with the same week last year, which was Thanksgiving week in 2012. Total U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 267,759 trailers and containers, up 37.7 percent compared with the same week last year. Total combined U.S. weekly rail traffic was 564,340 carloads and intermodal units, up 26.2 percent compared with the same week last year.
All 10 of the carload commodity groups tracked by AAR on a weekly basis posted increases compared with the same week in 2012, led by motor vehicles and parts with 18,075 carloads, up 42.2 percent and nonmetallic minerals and products with 34,048 carloads, up 40.3 percent.
For the first 47 weeks of 2013, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 13,273,872 carloads, down 0.1 percent from the same point last year, and 11,665,026 intermodal units, up 4.7 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 47 weeks of 2013 was 24,938,898 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.1 percent from last year.
Canadian railroads reported 81,723 carloads for the week, up 5.6 percent, and 54,540 intermodal units, up 7.9 percent compared with the same week in 2012. For the first 47 weeks of 2013, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,720,428 carloads, up 2.4 percent from the same point last year, and 2,537,934 intermodal units, up 4.3 percent from last year.
Mexican railroads reported 14,894 carloads for the week, up 3.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 9,143 intermodal units, down 13.4 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 47 weeks of 2013 was 715,977 carloads, up 6.5 percent from the same point last year, and 473,105 intermodal units, down 0.2 percent from last year.
Combined North American rail volume for the 47 weeks of 2013 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 17,710,277 carloads, up 0.6 percent compared with the same point last year, and 14,676,065 intermodal trailers and containers, up 4.5 percent compared with last year.