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For the first time in many weeks, U.S. railroads registered a year-over-year carload gain. In the week ending May 26, they originated 291,381 carloads, up 1.3 percent, as well as 244,726 containers and trailers, up 4.3 percent, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR). Western carload volume rose 5.1 percent and eastern volume dropped 4.1 percent.
 
Sixteen of 20 carload commodity groups posted gains, led by petroleum products (51.6 percent), motor vehicles and equipment (29.2 percent), grain mill products (10.4 percent), and iron and steel scrap (10.4 percent). Grain and coal volumes fell 10 percent and 6.3 percent, respectively.
 
For the week ending May 26, Canadian railroads reported 67,435 carloads, down 10.8 percent, and 41,043 containers and trailers, down 11.5 percent year over year. Mexican railroads’ carload volume increased 4 percent to 14,349 units and intermodal volume climbed 9.8 percent to 9,994 units.
 
Through 2012’s first 21 weeks, 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads originated 7,820,200 carloads, down 1.8 percent, and 6,074,378 containers and trailers, up 4.1 percent compared with volumes from the same 2011 period.