Weekly rail traffic results were mixed this week with carloads posting a -6.2% decline and intermodal posting a +6% gain. The 10 week moving average for intermodal dipped to +2.8% in a clear sign that the economy continues to grow, but is still relatively stagnant. The AAR has details on the report:
“Today, AAR also reported mixed weekly rail traffic for the week ending March 3, 2012, with U.S. railroads originating 283,312 carloads, down 6.2 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 227,256 trailers and containers, up 6 percent compared with the same week last year.
Seven of the 20 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2011, with petroleum products, up 22.6 percent; metals and products, up 19.3 percent, and lumber and wood products, up 16.4 percent. The groups showing a significant decrease in weekly traffic included farm products excluding grain, down 20.5 percent, and coal, down 16.6 percent.
Weekly carload volume on Eastern railroads was down 6.9 percent compared with the same week last year. In the West, weekly carload volume was down 5.7 percent compared with the same week in 2011.”
