Rail Traffic Volume Holding Its Own

[xcel]

300K originated carloads are the lower threshold and rail is still holding above it.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - Oct. 30, 2011

Whirlpool’s thousands of US employees depend on the economics of freight rail to move their goods from production facility to distribution centers around the country.

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported mixed results for weekly rail traffic, with U.S. railroads originating 301,864 carloads for the week ending Oct. 22, 2011, down 0.5 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 245,404 trailers and containers for the week ending Oct. 22nd, 2011, up 4.2 percent compared with the same week last year.

Ten of the 20 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2010, including: nonmetallic minerals, up 22.4 percent; iron and steel scrap, up 20.9 percent, and metals and products, up 19.2 percent. The groups showing a decrease in weekly traffic included: grain, down 25.6 percent, and coke, down 11.5 percent.

Weekly carload volume on Eastern railroads was up 0.1 percent compared with the same week last year. In the West, weekly carload volume was down 0.9 percent compared with the same week in 2010.

US Cumulative Rail Traffic Volume

For the first 42 weeks of 2011, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 12,236,877 carloads, up 1.7 percent from the same point last year, and 9,613,018 trailers and containers, up 5.3 percent from last year.

Canadian Cumulative Rail Traffic Volume

Canadian railroads reported 80,770 carloads for the week, up 7.0 percent compared with the same week last year, and 51,465 trailers and containers, up 1.6 percent compared with 2010. For the first 42 weeks of 2011, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,162,087 carloads, up 3 percent from the same point last year, and 2,022,898 trailers and containers, up 1.5 percent from last year.

Mexican Cumulative Rail Traffic Volume

Mexican railroads reported 14,776 carloads for the week, up 4.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 7,572 trailers and containers, down 1.1 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 42 weeks of 2011 was 601,701 carloads, up 4.4 percent compared with the same point last year, and 349,609 trailers and containers, up 23 percent.

North American Cumulative Rail Traffic Volume

Combined North American rail volume for the first 42 weeks of 2011 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 16,000,665 carloads, up 2 percent compared with the same point last year, and 11,985,525 trailers and containers, up 5.1 percent compared with last year.