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During the week ending May 12, U.S. railroads originated 279,063 carloads, down 5.2 percent, and 238,980 containers and trailers, up 3.1 percent compared with volumes from the same week last year, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
 
Only 10 of 20 carload commodity groups posted gains led by petroleum products (49 percent), motor vehicles and equipment (35.7 percent), and lumber and wood products (20.3 percent). Coal volume plunged 16.2 percent, non-metallic minerals volume fell 15.4 percent and grain volume tumbled 11.4 percent. Weekly carload volume dipped 5.2 percent both in the East and West.
 
For the week ending May 12, Canadian railroads reported 79,063 carloads, up 3.4 percent, and 52,456 containers and trailers, up 7.2 percent year over year. Mexican railroads’ carloads rose 6.2 percent to 14,510 units and intermodal volume jumped 16.2 percent to 9,666 units.
 
Through 2012’s first 19 weeks, 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads originated 7,072,343 carloads, down 1.8 percent, and 5,473,828 containers and trailers, up 4.2 percent compared with last year’s figures.

For more AAR traffic data on the week ending May 12 and through 19 weeks, follow this link.