The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Friday that US rail carloads originating in July 2012 totaled 1,103,733, down 7,787 carloads or 0.7 percent, compared with July 2011. Intermodal volume in July 2012 was 946,071 trailers and containers, up 50,431 units or up 5.6 percent, compared with July 2011.
Eight of the 20 commodity categories tracked by the AAR saw carload gains in July 2012 compared with July 2011, including: petroleum and petroleum products and motor vehicles and parts, Meanwhile, commodity categories with declines in July 2012 were led by coal and metallic ores.
For the first 30 weeks of 2012, US railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,428,551 carloads, down 2.6 percent from the same point last year, and 6,995,801 trailers and containers, up 3.6 percent from last year. For the first 30 weeks of 2012, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,298,875 carloads, up 3.2 percent from the same point last year, and 1,520,597 trailers and containers, up 7.2 percent from last year. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 30 weeks of 2012 is 425,148 carloads, down 1.2 percent compared with the same point last year, and 281,855 trailers and containers, up 18 percent from last year.