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Following several months of growth, tie production stabilized in June at 2.3 million units, according to the Railway Tie Association’s (RTA) latest monthly crosstie market report. Purchases, which “bounced around the first five months of the year,” totaled 2 million units in June, exhibiting “a more sedate” increase of 3.6 percent, RTA officials said. Tie inventories rose 1.2 percent to 17 million units.

In the second quarter, tie production totaled 6.6 million units, up 8.8 percent compared with the first quarter and 21 percent versus second-quarter 2011, the report states. Purchases, which also totaled 6.6 million units, rose 6 percent on a quarter-over-quarter and 22 percent on a year-over-year basis.

Through 2012’s first half, production climbed 17.7 percent to 12.6 million units and purchases jumped more than 22 percent to 12.7 million units compared with totals from the same 2011 period.

Meanwhile, 12-month rolling data reflected a "healthy" market direction: production totaling 24.6 million units grew at an annual rate of 18.4 percent and purchases totaling 24 million units were up about 19 percent, RTA officials said. Tie inventories increased 3.7 percent during the 12-month period and the inventory-to-sales ratio remained relatively stable at 0.72.