AAR reports calroad and intermodal gains for week ending February 4

Rail volumes saw increases for the week ending February 4, according to data from the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Carload volume—284,546—was up 6.2 percent annually—and was slightly ahead of the week ending January 28 at 283,654 and ahead of the week ending January 21 at 287,734 and behind the week ending January 14 at 298,560.

Eastern carloads were up 3.1 percent, and out west carloads were up 8.3 percent.

Intermodal volumes—at 232,950 trailers and containers—were up 16.8 percent annually. The AAR said this increase was due in part to its 2011 comparison week, which was affected by bad weather conditions. This weekly intermodal output was behind the week ending January 28 at 235,028 and ahead of the weeks ending January 21 and January 14 at 219,076 and 229,091, respectively.

Of the 20 commodity groups tracked by the AAR, 16 were up annually. Metallic ores were up 63.2 percent, and motor vehicles and equipment were up 42 percent. Grain was down 9.7 percent.

The AAR said that carloads for the first five weeks of 2012—at 1,429,346—were up 1.3 percent over the first five weeks of 2011, and intermodal was up 4.5 percent at 1,110,227 trailers and containers.

Estimated ton-miles for the week at 32.5 billion were up 7.3 percent, and for the year-to-date it was up 2.3 percent at 162.3 billion.