The Association of American Railroads (AAR) announced Monday that monthly rail carloads in March totaled 1,493,533-up 3.4 percent compared with March 2010, and up 2 percent compared with February 2011. Additionally, according to the AAR's monthly Rail Time Indicators report, intermodal traffic in March increased 8.5 percent for a total of 1,111,301 trailers and containers compared with March 2010.
Although March 2011's carload traffic percentage increase is the lowest of any month since early 2010--due, in part, to strengthening rail traffic volumes in the 2010 comparison month-- March 2011 marks the 13th straight month for carload and the 16th straight month for intermodal traffic increases on a year-over-year basis.
Traffic gains in March were led by metallic ores, up 45.8 percent year-over-year and motor vehicles and parts-up 17.6 percent over March 2010.