Newsletter Sign Up
Stay updated on news, articles and information for the rail industry
Stay updated on news, articles and information for the rail industry
Rail News Home
Rail Industry Trends
Rail News: Rail Industry Trends
5/10/2011
Rail News: Rail Industry Trends
AAR April report: U.S. carloadings fell for first time in 13 months
advertisement
In April, U.S. carloads totaled 1.18 million units, down 0.2 percent compared with April 2010 volume — the first monthly decline since February 2010, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) “Rail Time Indicators” report. Intermodal traffic rose 9 percent to 914,518 units.
On a seasonally adjusted basis, April carloads declined 2.5 percent and intermodal traffic rose 1.2 percent compared with March levels.
Only nine of 20 commodity categories registered year-over-year gains in April, led by metallic ores, up 19.4 percent; grain, up 13.6 percent; and motor vehicle and parts, up 9.6 percent. Chemical carloads increased for the 18th-straight month. However, primary forest product carloads plummeted 26.4 percent, waste and nonferrous scrap carloads tumbled 14.2 percent, crushed stone/sand/gravel carloads fell 5.6 percent and coal carloads dipped 2.9 percent — the first monthly decline since July 2010.
“April 2010 was a relatively strong month and therefore a difficult comparison,” said AAR Senior Vice President John Gray in a prepared statement.
However, U.S. rail employment remained strong in March, when railroads added 1,340 workers — the largest monthly gain since September 2010 — boosting the U.S. rail workforce to 155,842, according to the AAR. As of May 1, 276,228 freight cars, or 18.2 percent of the U.S. fleet, remained in storage, a decrease of 7,421 cars from April 1’s count.
On a seasonally adjusted basis, April carloads declined 2.5 percent and intermodal traffic rose 1.2 percent compared with March levels.
Only nine of 20 commodity categories registered year-over-year gains in April, led by metallic ores, up 19.4 percent; grain, up 13.6 percent; and motor vehicle and parts, up 9.6 percent. Chemical carloads increased for the 18th-straight month. However, primary forest product carloads plummeted 26.4 percent, waste and nonferrous scrap carloads tumbled 14.2 percent, crushed stone/sand/gravel carloads fell 5.6 percent and coal carloads dipped 2.9 percent — the first monthly decline since July 2010.
“April 2010 was a relatively strong month and therefore a difficult comparison,” said AAR Senior Vice President John Gray in a prepared statement.
However, U.S. rail employment remained strong in March, when railroads added 1,340 workers — the largest monthly gain since September 2010 — boosting the U.S. rail workforce to 155,842, according to the AAR. As of May 1, 276,228 freight cars, or 18.2 percent of the U.S. fleet, remained in storage, a decrease of 7,421 cars from April 1’s count.