AAR: North American rail traffic registered gains in 2014's fourth week

U.S. railroads notched more traffic gains in the year's fourth week, which ended Jan. 25. They originated 280,761 carloads, up 5.6 percent, and 245,883 intermodal loads, up 3 percent compared with volumes from the same 2013 period, according to the Association of American Railroads.

Total combined U.S. traffic rose 4.4 percent to 526,644 units. Seven of 10 carload commodity groups posted gains, including grain at 24.4 percent, and petroleum and petroleum products at 13.1 percent.

For the week ending Jan. 25, Canadian railroads reported 74,311 carloads, down 1.6 percent, and 52,824 intermodal units, up 1.7 percent compared with the same 2013 period. Mexican railroads' weekly carloads climbed 8.9 percent to 16,416 units and their intermodal volume rose 6.7 percent to 10,542 units.

Through 2014's first four weeks, U.S. railroads handled 1,074,281 carloads, up 0.9 percent, and 936,176 intermodal units, up 1.8 percent year over year. Canadian railroads' carloads fell 5.3 percent to 281,220 but their intermodal volume ratcheted up 1.5 percent to 198,167 units, while Mexican railroads' carloads rose 6.1 percent to 56,896 and their intermodal volume increased 3.2 percent to 35,739 units.

Through four weeks on a consolidated basis, 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 1,412,397 carloads, down 0.2 percent, and 1,170,082 containers and trailers, up 1.3 percent compared with the same 2013 period.