U.S. rail traffic logged more gains last week

For the week ending Nov. 16, U.S. railroads reported 295,563 carloads, up 2.4 percent, and 266,643 intermodal loads, up 7 percent compared with volumes from the same week last year, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Intermodal volume climbed for the 20th straight week, while total combined U.S. traffic rose 4.5 percent to 562,206 units. Seven of 10 carload commodity groups posted gains, led by grain (23.5 percent), and petroleum and petroleum products (21.6 percent).

Canadian railroads reported 82,153 carloads for the week, up 4.4 percent, and 56,608 intermodal units, up 5.5 percent year over year. Mexican railroads' carloads increased 3.2 percent to 15,680 units, but their intermodal volume tumbled 11 percent to 10,135 units.

Through 2013's first 46 weeks, 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads handled 17,317,079 carloads, up 0.4 percent, and 14,344,623 containers and trailers, up 4 percent compared with the same 2012 period.