AAR reports mixed volumes for week ending October 27

Rail and intermodal traffic was again mixed for the week ending October 27, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Carload volume—at 287,104—was down 7 percent annually and below the week ending October 20 at 288,791 and ahead of the week ending October 13 at 285,089.

Eastern carload volumes were down 5.7 percent annually, and out west carloads were down 7.8 percent.

Intermodal volumes—at 253,186 trailers and containers—were up 3.9 percent and slightly below the week ending October 20 at 253,883 and ahead of the week ending October 13 at 250,826.

Of the 20 commodity groups tracked by the AAR, nine were up annually. Farm products excluding grain were up 72 percent, and petroleum products were up 52.7 percent. Iron and steel scrap was down 32.8 percent, and coal was down 15.2 percent. 

Carloads for the first 43 weeks of 2012—at 12,186,829—were down 2.9 percent compared to the first 43 weeks of 2011, and intermodal was up 3.7 percent at 10,220,272 trailers and containers.

Estimated ton-miles for the week ending October 20 were down 6.4 percent at 33.7 billion, and were down 2.7 percent on a year-to-date basis at 1,401.2 billion.