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During the week ending April 16, U.S. railroads traffic volume reached 33.3 billion ton-miles, a 4.7 percent increase compared with the same 2004 week. The volume total established a new weekly record, breaking the previous high-water mark of 33.2 billion ton-miles during the week ending Nov. 20, 2004, according to Association of American Railroads data.

By traffic segment, the roads’ carloads totaling 353,864 units rose 3.1 percent and intermodal loads totaling 219,932 units increased 6.4 percent compared with the same 2004 period.

Weekly traffic figures weren’t nearly as good for Canadian railroads. Carloads totaling 71,724 units and intermodal loads totaling 44,486 units fell 4 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively, compared with the same 2004 week.

During the year’s first 15 weeks, U.S. roads moved 5,100,085 carloads, up 2.7 percent, and 3,215,085 trailers and containers, up 7.4 percent compared with last year. Total estimated volume of 474.1 billion ton-miles rose 3.6 percent. Through 15 weeks, Canadian roads’ carloads totaling 1,048,924 units and intermodal loads totaling 624,493 units increased 1.4 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively, compared with last year.

On a combined cumulative-volume basis through 15 weeks, 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian roads moved 6,149,716 carloads, up 2.5 percent, and 3,839,578 trailers and containers, up 6.9 percent compared with the same 2004 period.

In Mexico, TFM S.A. de C.V. also registered traffic gains during the week ending April 16, boosting carloads 9.7 percent to 9,460 units and increasing intermodal loads 25.2 percent to 4,534 units compared with the same 2004 week. Through 15 weeks, TFM moved 129,148 carloads, up 4.3 percent, and 56,236 trailers and containers, up 9 percent compared with last year.