(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, April 10, 2014)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported increased U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 5, 2014 with 296,039 total U.S. carloads, up 5.4 percent compared with the same week last year. Total U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 261,084 units, up 12.6 percent compared with the same week last year. Total combined U.S. weekly rail traffic was 557,123 carloads and intermodal units, up 8.7 percent compared with the same week last year.
Nine of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2013, including grain with 19,741 carloads, up 16.8 percent, and petroleum and petroleum products with 14,779 carloads, up 11 percent. The commodity showing a decrease compared with the same week last year was forest products with 10,948 carloads, down 0.7 percent.
For the first 14 weeks of 2014, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,898,778 carloads, up 1.2 percent compared with the same point last year, and 3,464,083 intermodal units, up 4.4 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 14 weeks of 2014 was 7,362,861 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.7 percent from last year.
Canadian railroads reported 76,662 carloads for the week, down 6.5 percent, and 58,425 intermodal units, up 12.4 percent compared with the same week in 2013. For the first 14 weeks of 2014, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,013,893 carloads, down 6.9 percent from the same point last year, and 728,355 intermodal units, up 2.3 percent from last year.
Mexican railroads reported 15,755 carloads for the week, up 1.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 9,802 intermodal units, up 3.6 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 14 weeks of 2014 was 211,189 carloads, up 2 percent from the same point last year, and 132,783 intermodal units, up 1 percent from last year.
Combined North American rail volume for the first 14 weeks of 2014 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 5,123,860 carloads, down 0.5 percent compared with the same point last year, and 4,325,221 intermodal trailers and containers, up 4 percent compared with last year.