The winning streak continued for all U.S. rail freight traffic during the week ending April 12, 2014, measured against the comparable week in 2013, the Association of American Railroads reported Thursday, April 17.
U.S. freight carload traffic continued showing strength, up 7.2% for the week compared with a year ago. U.S. intermodal volume, somewhat predictably, continued its upward trend, up 9.3% for the week. Total combined U.S. weekly rail traffic rose 8.2% compared with the same week in 2013.
Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups AAR measures on a weekly basis posted increases compared with the same week in 2013, including grain, up 21.7%, and coal, up 11.2%. The two declining commodities: metallic ores and metals, down 3.9%, and forest products, down 1.5%.
By contrast, Canadian freight carload volume for the week ending April 12 fell 4.5%. Canadian intermodal volume fared better, up 9.7%. Mexican freight carload volume rose 1.5%, but Mexican intermodal volume slipped 4.1%.
Combined North American freight carload traffic for the first 15 weeks of 2014 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads still trailed 2013 levels, though barely, at 0.1%. Combined North American intermodal volume was up 4.3% measured against the comparable period one year ago.