Rail traffic was up slightly for the week ending July 23, according to data released by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
Carload volume—at 291,909—was up 01.4 percent annually and ahead of the week ending July 16 at 281,389 and the week ending July 9 at 245,574. 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 up 0.7 percent in the East and up 1.8 percent out West. Carloads on a year-to-date basis are at 8,358,097 for a 2.4 percent annual increase.
Intermodal came in at 232,181 trailers and containers, ahead of the week ending July 16 at 230,324 and the week ending July 9 at 192,619.The two highest weeks of the year were the weeks ending June 17 and June 10 reaching 237,682 and 237,422, respectively.
Intermodal volumes on a year-to-date basis at 6,511,257 are up 7 percent compared to 2010.
Of the 20 commodity groups tracked by the AAR, 12 were up annually. Iron and steel scrap was up 24.5 percent, and metallic ores were up 53.2 percent.
Estimated ton-miles for the week were 33.5 billion for a 1.5 percent annual increase, and
on a year-to-date basis, the 936.6 billion ton-miles recorded were up 3.4 percent.