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U.S. railroads continue to maintain a steady pace with their weekly carloads, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR). For the week ending July 24, they originated 286,854 carloads, up 4.7 percent compared with the total from the same 2009 period.

Fifteen of 19 carload commodity groups registered gains. Chemical traffic was up 11 percent, according to Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc.’s weekly “Rail Flash” report.

“Rail commentary suggests chemical volumes benefiting from low downstream inventories,” Baird analysts said in the report. “Chemical trends are in line with historical seasonality, which we expect to continue through year end.”
 
U.S. intermodal traffic remains at a more blistering weekly pace, according to AAR data. U.S. railroads reported 230,443 containers and trailers, up 19.2 percent year over year.
 
Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported weekly carload volume of 73,375 units, up 18.9 percent, and intermodal volume of 45,904 units, up 9.7 percent. Mexican railroads reported 13,152 carloads, up 12.9 percent, and 6,243 containers or trailers, up 7.9 percent.

Through 2010’s first 29 weeks, 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads originated 10.7 million carloads, up 10.2 percent, and 7.6 million containers and trailers, up 13.9 percent year over year.

For more AAR data for the week ending July 24 and through 29 weeks, follow this link.

Meanwhile, the AAR recently presented two Automotive Quality Excellence Awards to Norfolk Southern Corp.’s Automotive Distribution Group to recognize its "outstanding service" at rail-served automotive facilities.

NS won the Highest Quality Review Score for Destination Facilities award by achieving a perfect 100 percent score at its Titusville, Fla., automotive facility — the first perfect score given any facility since the AAR began an audit program in 1997.

NS also won the Greatest Overall Quality Review Score Improvement award at Chrysler’s Jefferson automotive ramp in Detroit. Since the Class I began operating the facility two years ago, its score improved from 74 percent to 98.6 percent.