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Another week into October, another mixed bag of traffic results for U.S. railroads. During the week ending Oct. 22, they originated 301,864 carloads, down 0.5 percent, and 245,404 intermodal loads, up 4.2 percent compared with volumes from the same week last year, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
 
Only 10 of 20 carload commodity groups registered gains, led by nonmetallic minerals (22.4 percent), iron and steel scrap (20.9 percent), and metals and products (19.2 percent). Grain and coke volumes tumbled 25.6 percent and 11.5 percent, respectively.
 
Canadian railroads reported weekly carloads totaling 80,770 units, up 7 percent, and intermodal volume totaling 51,465 units, up 1.6 percent compared with the year-ago period. Mexican railroads’ weekly carloads climbed 4.1 percent to 14,776 units, but weekly intermodal volume dipped 1.1 percent to 7,572 units.
 
Through 2011’s first 42 weeks, 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads originated 16 million carloads, up 2 percent, and 12 million containers and trailers, up 5.1 percent compared with volumes from the same 2010 period.

For more AAR traffic data for the week ending Oct. 22 and through 42 weeks, follow this link.