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After tumbling in March, crosstie purchases “recovered and then some” in April, according to the Railway Tie Association’s (RTA) latest monthly market report. Purchases soared 36 percent above the previous month's total to 2.5 million units.

Tie production in March eased about 6 percent to 2 million units. In addition, tie inventories dropped 2 percent to 16.6 million units and the inventory-to-sales ratio fell from March’s 0.75 to 0.71, the lowest reading in more than three years, RTA officials said in the report.

Through 2012’s first four months, purchases jumped more than 25 percent to 8.7 million units while production climbed 16 percent to 8.1 million units compared with the same 2011 period.

Meanwhile, 12-month rolling totals showed production (23.8 million units) was growing at an annual rate of 22 percent and purchases (23.5 million units) were increasing at a rate exceeding 15 percent, RTA officials said. Tie inventories rose more than 2 percent during the rolling period.