AAR reports rail volumes are up for week ending January 14

Following a sluggish first week of 2012, rail volumes for the week ending January 14 showed solid growth, according to data from the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Carload volume—at 298,560—was up 5.5 percent annually and ahead of the weeks ending January 7, December 31, and December 24, which reached 274,862, 245,666, and 287,137, respectively.

274,862—was down 3.7 percent annually and ahead of the week ending December 31, which was at 245,666. It was behind the weeks ending December 24 and December 17, which hit 287,137 and 304,377, respectively.

Eastern carloads were up 5.3 percent, and out west carloads were up 5.6 percent.

Intermodal volumes—at 229,091 trailers and containers—were 7.4 percent ahead of the same week a year ago and also up sharply compared to the week ending January 7, which reached 193,812.

193,812 trailers and containers—were down 9.3 percent year-over-year. This outpaced the week ending December 31 at 181,217 and lagged the weeks ending December 24 and December 17 at 217,952 and 233,322, respectively.

Of the 20 commodity groups tracked by the AAR, 17 were up annually. Crushed stone, sand, and gravel were up 33.2 percent and grain was off by 10.1 percent.

The AAR said that carloads for the first two weeks of 2012 at 573,412 were up 0.9 percent over the first two weeks of 2011, and intermodal was down 1 percent at 422,903 trailers and containers.

Estimated ton-miles for the week at 33.8 billion were up 7.0 percent, and for the year-to-date it was up 1.9 percent at 64.8 billion.