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U.S. railroads set an intermodal volume record for the second-straight week, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR). During the week ending Aug. 21, they handled an all-time-high 236,404 containers and trailers, up 22.4 percent year over year. In the previous week, their volume reached a record 233,767 units.
 
U.S. railroad’s weekly carload traffic totaled 296,634 units, up 6.2 percent compared with volume from the same week in 2009. Fourteen of 19 carload commodity groups registered gains, including chemicals, which increased 5 percent in volume.

Although chemical volumes essentially have followed average seasonal patterns for most of 2010, a mid-August sequential trend of plus-2 percent from mid-June is modestly better than the plus-1 percent average seasonal trend, according to Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc.’s weekly “Rail Flash” report.

“Recent conversations with one of the largest private truckload carriers confirm chemicals remained strong,” Baird analysts said in the report.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported 71,033 carloads for the week ending Aug. 21, a 10.5 percent increase year over year. Their intermodal volume climbed 21.7 percent to 50,999 units. Mexican railroads reported 13,622 carloads and 7,090 intermodal loads, up 19.5 and 12.6 percent, respectively.

Through 2010’s first 33 weeks, 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads originated 12.1 million carloads, up 10 percent, and 8.8 million containers and trailers, up 14.8 percent year over year.

For more AAR traffic data for the week ending Aug. 21 and through 33 weeks, follow this link.