RTA report: Crosstie production fell, but purchases increased in July

In July, crosstie production fell 8.3 percent to 2.4 million units and purchases rose 5.4 percent to 2.4 million units from June levels, according to the Railway Tie Association (RTA).

Compared with year-ago levels, both production and purchases were up in July. Production soared 34.2 percent and purchases climbed 5.3 percent compared with July 2014. Production for the first seven months of 2015 rose 32.1 percent and purchases were up 4 percent compared with the same period in 2014, according to the RTA’s July market report.

A nine-month decline in purchases since July 2014 has changed to an upswing, but purchases are still down at a negative 5.3 percent annual rate, RTA reported.

"After a long decline since March 2012, production stabilized in 2014, and it is on the rise in 2015 by 19.4 percent from the year-ago level," stated the report.