AAR reports rail traffic is mixed for week ending July 16

Rail traffic was mixed for the week ending July 16, according to data released by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Carload volume—at 281,387—was down 0.3 percent annually and ahead of the week ending July 9 at 245,574, and behind the week ending July 2, which hit 285,943. It was also behind the week ending April 2, which hit 305,905 carloads, marking the highest weekly carload tally since the end of 2008.

Carload volume was down 0.1 percent in the East and down 0.5 percent out West. Carloads on a year-to-date basis are at 8,066,188 for a 2.4 percent annual increase.

Intermodal totaled 230,324 trailers and containers for a 1.2 percent gain from last year. This topped the week ending July 9 at 192,619 and was below 236,988 for the week ending July 2.The two highest weeks of the year were the weeks ending June 17 and June 10 reaching 237,682 and 237,422, respectively, intermodal hit 234,775 for the week ending June 25.

Intermodal volumes on a year-to-date basis at 6,279,076 are up 7.2 percent compared to 2010.

Of the 20 commodity groups tracked by the AAR, 14 were up annually. Iron and steel scrap was up 34.8 percent, and metals and products were up 18.7 percent.

Estimated ton-miles for the week were 32.5 billion for a 1.2 percent annual increase, and
on a year-to-date basis, the 903.1 billion ton-miles recorded were up 3.5 percent.