Intermodal Rail Volume Rises to Highest Level on Record
The weekly average intermodal rail volume for October rose to the highest level on record, the Association of American Railroads reported.
Intermodal volume reached a weekly average of 263,520 units in October, and total intermodal traffic rose 6.8% to 1.3 million for the month, AAR said in its weekly report.
Fifteen of the 20 categories tracked by AAR posted increases in October from the prior year, led by grain at 9.3%.
“There’s been some concern lately that the recovery may be running out of steam. Rail traffic data for October doesn’t seem to support that,” AAR Senior Vice President John Gray said in a statement.
“A number of economically sensitive commodities, like lumber, autos and chemicals, saw higher traffic volumes in October. The sharp increase in grain carloadings is a welcome change and points to the cooperative relationship railroads have established with their partners in the agricultural community,” he said.
Intermodal volume for the week rose 17.7% to 264,264 year-over-year. Traffic from the same week last year was affected by Superstorm Sandy, the rail trade group said.
For the first 44 weeks of the year, U.S. railroads moved 10.8 million intermodal containers and trailers, up 4% from last year.
Total North American rail volume year-to-date for the 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 16.5 million carloads, a 0.2% rise from the same point last year.
