advertisement

---

After posting their strongest traffic figures of the year in November, U.S. railroads got off to a decent start in December.

During the week ending Dec. 5, they originated 284,177 carloads, down 5.4 percent, and 207,242 intermodal loads, down 4.2 percent compared with totals from the same week last year, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR). In many prior weeks, year-over-year comparisons showed declines of between 10 percent and 20 percent.

Canadian railroads reported weekly volume of 62,576 carloads, down 12.4 percent, and 39,608 containers and trailers, down 13.5 percent. Mexican railroads’ weekly carloads dipped 4.8 percent to 12,393 units, but intermodal volume rose 0.8 percent to 6,241 units.

For more AAR data on North American railroads' traffic for the week ending Dec. 5 and through 2009’s first 48 weeks, follow this link.

Meanwhile, Union Pacific Railroad announced it set a monthly record in November for moving loaded agricultural unit trains. The Class I registered 400 unit trains — 338 carrying grain and soybeans, and 62 carrying grain products — breaking the previous record of 381 set in October 2006.

UP moved 35,588 carloads of grain and soybeans last month — the best November volume since 2007, when the railroad moved 33,797 carloads. The November record of 32,897 units was set in 2002.

UP also moved 12,399 carloads of soybeans, its second-highest monthly volume. The Class I moved a record 16,490 soybean carloads in October.