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Tie production and purchases “exploded into the new year,” according to the Railway Tie Association’s (RTA) monthly market report. January production climbed 44 percent to 1.7 million units and purchases jumped 49 percent to 1.7 million units compared with January 2010 data.

Tie inventories remained virtually unchanged from December's level at 16.2 million units, the report states.

Meanwhile, tie production and purchases maintained strength garnered in 2010’s latter months, the report states, citing 12-month rolling data. As of Jan. 31, 12-month rolling purchases exceeded 20 million units after standing at less than 18 million units in May, and production reached 17.7 million units after bottoming out at 16 million units in August.

In addition, the inventory-to-sales ratio fell to 0.80 in January vs. 0.82 in December 2010 and 0.98 in January 2010, “signaling how fast market forces have shifted,” RTA officials said in the report.