U.S. roads registered traffic gains at July's end, AAR data shows

For the week ending July 27, U.S. carloads rose 2.5 percent to 295,532 and U.S. intermodal volume increased 2.4 percent to 256,379 units compared with data from the same week last year, according to the Association of American Railroads.

Total U.S. rail traffic ratcheted up 2.5 percent to 551,911 combined loads. Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted gains, led by petroleum and petroleum products at 23.2 percent. Grain and agricultural products were among the decliners at 7.6 percent and 5 percent, respectively.

However, a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture report showed planted acreage was up slightly year-over-year at 97.4 million acres, the highest planted acreage since 1936, said Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. analysts in their weekly "Rail Flash" report.

"The corn yield is looking healthier this year compared to last year; 63 percent of the crop is rated as 'excellent' or 'good' compared to 24 percent at the same point last year," they said.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported 76,751 carloads in the week ending July 27, down 0.4 percent. Their intermodal volume dipped 2.6 percent to 54,271 units. Mexican railroads' weekly carloads dipped 0.1 percent to 15,816 and their intermodal volume tumbled 9.4 percent to 10,162 units.

Through 2013's first 30 weeks, 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads handled 11,106,813 carloads, down 0.4 percent, and 9,098,553 containers and trailers, up 3.4 percent compared with the same 2012 period.