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Make it six straight weeks of carload gains for U.S. railroads. During the week ending April 3, they originated 290,217 carloads, up 10.7 percent compared with volume from the same week last year, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR). The week included Good Friday while the comparable week in 2009 didn’t.

Carloads rose 1.7 percent in the West and 7.8 percent in the East. Total volume increased 11 percent to an estimated 31.3 billion ton-miles.
 
U.S. railroads also boosted intermodal volume for the 12th-straight week, increasing container and trailer loads 6.2 percent to 196,257 units during the period ending April 3 vs. the total from the same period last year.

Intermodal trends have improved, buoyed by continued domestic truck conversions and “bottoming international fundamentals,” according to Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc’s weekly “Rail Flash” report.

However, “commentary from IMCs and railroads suggest container capacity tightness, predominately on the West Coast and in the Midwest,” Baird analysts said in the report.
 
Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported weekly carload volume of 70,786 units, up 14.8 percent, and intermodal volume of 42,025 units, up 6.1 percent year over year. During the week ending April 3, Mexican railroads boosted carloads volume 4.3 percent to 11,267 units and increased intermodal volume 0.4 percent to 5,069 units.

For more AAR data for the week ending April 3 and through 2010’s first 13 weeks, follow this link.