The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported that US monthly rail traffic showed mixed results in January. Intermodal traffic in January 2013 totaled 1,168,630 containers and trailers, up 5.3 percent (58,303 units) compared with January 2012. Carloads originated in January totaled 1,339,604 carloads, down 6.3 percent (90,199 carloads) compared with the same month last year. Carloads excluding coal and grain were up 1.8 percent (12,731 carloads) in January 2013 over January 2012.
In January, six of the 20 commodity groups posted increases compared with the same month last year. Commodities with carload declines in January were led by coal, down 14.5 percent or 91,593 carloads; grain, down 11 percent or 11,337 carloads, and iron and steel scrap, down 18.7 percent or 4,675 carloads.
For the first five weeks of 2013, US railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,339,604 carloads, down 6.3 percent from the same point last year, and 1,168,630 trailers and containers, up 5.3 percent from last year.
For the first five weeks of 2013, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 372,517 carloads, up 1.8 percent from the same point last year, and 251,231 trailers and containers, up 6.3 percent from last year. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first five weeks of 2013 is 68,426 carloads, up 6.9 percent from the same point last year, and 43,539 trailers and containers, down 3.6 percent from last year.
Combined North American rail volume for the first five weeks of 2013 on 13 reporting US, Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 1,780,547 carloads, down 4.3 percent compared with the same point last year, and 1,463,400 trailers and containers, up 5.1 percent compared with last year.