advertisement

---

After a five-month climb, crosstie production in November declined about 12 percent from October's level, according to the Railway Tie Association (RTA). But tie purchases increased 2.6 percent.

Tie inventories, which had declined by 3.6 million units during the eight months prior to October, regained more than 900,000 units in October and November, RTA officials said in a monthly crosstie market report.

Through 2010’s first 11 months, tie purchases dipped 1 percent and production plummeted 26 percent compared with November 2009 levels. Tie inventories fell 14 percent.

Meanwhile, 12-month rolling data showed both purchases and production were on an upswing, reflecting signs of the recovery, RTA officials said. Purchases, which hit a low point in May, increased by 10 percent since that time; production, which bottomed out in August, rose 5 percent. After tumbling to a low point in September, inventories climbed 6 percent in October and November, RTA officials said.