U.S. rail traffic landed on plus side of ledger last week

U.S. railroads registered gains in both major traffic segments last week. For the period ending Oct. 12, they originated 285,372 carloads, up 0.1 percent, and 260,839 intermodal loads, up 4 percent compared with volumes from the same week last year, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Total U.S. volume rose 1.9 percent to 546,211 units. Seven of 10 carload commodity groups posted gains, led by petroleum and petroleum products at 15.3 percent and metallic ores/metals at 12.8 percent.

For the week ending Oct. 12, Canadian railroads reported 85,258 carloads, up 11 percent, and 58,312 intermodal units, up 9.8 percent year over year. Mexican railroads' weekly carloads fell 7.2 percent to 13,820 units and their intermodal volume dropped 4 percent to 10,781 intermodal units.

Through 2013's first 41 weeks, 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads handled 15,359,208 carloads — flat versus last year — and 12,692,772 containers and trailers, up 3.7 percent.