In the November 7th release of the AAR Weekly Rail Traffic Summary the AAR reported that October’s weekly intermodal volume average was the highest average for any month in history. Intermodal volume for October was up 3.8 percent compared with October 2012. Carload volume in October was up 1.5 percent compared with October of last year, the highest year-over-year carload increase in the last 22 months. However, according to the AAR, rail traffic in late October 2012 was impacted by Hurricane Sandy.
For the week ending November 2, 2013 carload volume was up 5.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and intermodal volume was up 17.7 percent. The AAR reported that total U.S. rail volume for the week was also up, 10.8 percent compared to the same week last year, but again rail traffic in the comparable week in 2012 was affected by Hurricane Sandy.
U.S. carload volume for the first 44 weeks of 2013 was down 0.7 percent from the same point last year, while intermodal volume was up 4.0 percent. For the first 44 weeks of 2013 total U.S. rail volume was up 1.5 percent from last year.
Canadian carload volume for the week ending November 2nd was up 6.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and intermodal volume was up 8.3 percent. For the first 44 weeks of 2013 Canadian carload volume was up 2.1 percent from the same point in 2012, and intermodal volume was up 4.2 percent.
Both Mexican carload and intermodal volume were up for the week, carload was up 0.4 percent compared to the same week last year and intermodal volume was up 15.0 percent. For the first 44 weeks of 2013 Mexican carload volume was up 6.8 percent from the same point in 2012, and intermodal volume was up 0.5 percent.
North American, U.S., Canadian and Mexican, carload volume for the first 44 weeks of 2012 was up 0.2 percent compared with the same point last year, and intermodal volume was up 3.9 percent.
