The final full week of 2014 was another winning one for U.S. freight rail traffic, and indeed for rail traffic throughout the three NAFTA nations, the Association of American Railroads reported Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014.
AAR said U.S. freight carload traffic for the week ending Dec. 27 rose a hefty 9.2% measured against the comparable week in 2013, while U.S. intermodal volume made its customary 2014 advance for the week, up 5.4%. Total combined U.S. rail traffic notched a 7.4% rise.
Nine of the 10 carload commodity groups AAR measures on a weekly basis posted increases compared with the same week in 2013, led by motor vehicles and parts, up 41.6%, nonmetallic minerals, up 26.3%, and coal, up 9.9%. The sole commodity group that slipped: forest products, down 2.5%.
Canadian freight carload traffic for the week ending Dec. 27 rose 18.7%, while Canadian intermodal volume just squeaked into positive territory, up 0.1%. Mexican freight carload traffic for the week rose 23.4%, while Mexican intermodal volume rose 30.5%.
Combined North American rail volume for the 52 weeks of 2014 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was up 3.6% measured against comparable 2013 figures. Combined North American intermodal volume for 2014 saw a 5.4% rise.