advertisement

---

Crosstie purchases and production got off to a good start in 2009. In January, purchases jumped 26.5 percent to 1.8 million units and production increased 6.4 percent to 2 million units compared with December levels, according to the Railway Tie Association’s (RTA) monthly market activity report. In addition, inventories rose 1.7 percent to 16.5 million units.

Purchases and production also bested figures established in January 2008, when purchases totaled 1.6 million units and production totaled 1.7 million units. In January 2008, inventories stood at 16.9 million units.

Meanwhile, 12-month rolling data shows production remained flat at 20.6 million units while purchases rose 4.8 percent to 21 million units.

“Production displayed no growth from the year before [and] purchases, following some weak growth in the final quarter of 2008, rebounded,” RTA officials said in the report.

The rolling data also shows that inventories declined 2.6 percent and the inventory-to-sales ratio fell from 0.83 to 0.78.