U.S. Class I railroads originated 1,507,917 carloads in October 2014, up 4.4%, or 63,881 carloads, over October 2013. The average of 301,583 weekly carloads in October 2014 marked only the third time since 2008 that a month had a weekly carload average of more than 300,000.
Intermodal traffic in October—“the best month in history for U.S. rail intermodal traffic,” AAR said—totaled 1,381,749 containers and trailers, up 4.9%, or 64,071 units, over October 2013. The weekly average of 276,350 containers and trailers in October 2014 was the highest ever, and October was the 59th straight month of year-over-year intermodal increases. For the first 10 months of 2014, U.S. intermodal volume was a record 11,459,079 units, up 5.5% over 2013.
Fifteen of the 20 carload commodity categories tracked by the AAR each month saw year-over-year carload increases in October. Commodities with the biggest carload increases in October 2014 over the prior-year period were coal, up 21,010 carloads, or 3.9%; petroleum and petroleum products, up 14,053 carloads, or 20.7%; crushed stone, sand, and gravel, up 11,880 carloads, or 10.4%; and metallic ores up 4,161 carloads, or 11.4%. For the year, grain carloads are up 114,900 carloads, or 15%.
Excluding coal, U.S. rail carloads were up 42,871 carloads, or 4.7%, in October 2014 over October 2013. Excluding coal and grain, U.S. rail carloads were up 43,237, or 5.4%, in October 2014.
For the week ending Nov. 1, 2014, U.S. railroads originated 305,389 carloads, up 4.3% compared with the same week last year, while intermodal volume for the week totaled 279,819 units, up 5.9% compared with the same week last year and the highest ever. Total U.S. rail traffic for the week was 585,208 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.1% compared with the same week last year.
Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked on a weekly basis posted increases compared with the same week in 2013, including petroleum and petroleum products, 16,447 carloads, up 20.4%; metallic ores and metals, 28,303 carloads, up 20.1%; and grain, 23,847 carloads, up 14.5%. Commodities that posted a decrease were led by motor vehicles and parts, with 17,888 carloads, down 2.9%.
For the first 44 weeks of 2014, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 12,830,740 carloads, up 3.6% from the same point last year, and 11,459,079 intermodal units, up 5.5% from last year. Total U.S. traffic for the first 44 weeks of 2014 was 24,289,819 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.5% from last year.
Canadian railroads reported 86,893 carloads for the week, up 4.4% compared with the same week last year, and 60,312 intermodal units, up 10% compared with 2013. For the first 44 weeks of 2014, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,542,923 carloads, up 1.9% from the same point last year, and 2,525,718 intermodal units, up 6.7% from last year.
Mexican railroads reported 14,247 carloads for the week, down 8.7% compared with the same week last year, and 10,632 intermodal units, up 6.7%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 44 weeks of 2014 is 694,461 carloads, up 3.1% from the same point last year, and 470,354 intermodal units, up 5.1%.
Combined North American rail volume for the first 44 weeks of 2014 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 17,068,124 carloads, up 3.2% compared with the same point last year, and 14,455,151 trailers and containers, up 5.7% compared with last year.