Following two weeks of digression from a repeating pattern, U.S. freight traffic resumed its standard mix – freight carload traffic down, intermodal volume up – in the latest week ending July 13, 2013, according to the Association of American Railroads.
AAR said Thursday, July 18 that U.S. freight carload volume fell 3.1%, measured against the comparable week in 2012, while intermodal volume rose 0.9%. Total U.S. traffic for the week was down 1.3% compared with the same week last year.
Six of the 10 carload commodity groups AAR tracks posted increases compared with the same week in 2012, more than in previous weeks. Gainers were led once more by petroleum and petroleum products, up 19.7%. Commodities showing a decrease compared with the same week last year included motor vehicles and parts, down 19.3%, and grain, down 10.9%.
Canadian freight carload volume mirrored its U.S. counterpart, down 2.7% for the week ending July 13, while Canadian intermodal volume rose, up 0.3%. , Mexican freight carload volume advanced 3.9% for the week, while Mexican intermodal retreated, down 5.3%.
Combined North American freight carload volume for the 28 weeks of 2013 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was down 0.4% percent compared with the same period of time in 2012, while combined North American intermodal volume was up 3.5%.