RAIL VOLUMES SET NEW 2010 RECORD
No change in the strength of rail data this week as the recovery in the rail industry appears to be chugging along (via the AAR):
“The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported weekly rail carload volume set a new 2010 record for the second consecutive week. U.S. railroads originated 305,000 carloads during the week ending Sept. 4, 2010, up 6.9 percent compared with the same week in 2009, and at comparable levels to the same week in 2008. The 2008 comparison week included the Labor Day holiday while the corresponding weeks in both 2010 and 2009 did not. In order to offer a complete picture of the progress in rail traffic, AAR reports 2010 weekly rail traffic with comparison weeks in both 2009 and 2008.Intermodal traffic totaled 237,006 trailers and containers, up 18 percent from the same week in 2009, and up 18 percent compared with 2008. Compared with the same week in 2009, container volume increased 19.4 percent and trailer volume rose 10.7 percent. Compared with the same week in 2008, container volume increased 27.1 percent and trailer volume declined 16.9 percent.
Thirteen of the 19 carload commodity groups increased from the comparable week in 2009 with metallic ores and metals and metal products continuing to post significant increases, up 57.1 percent and 32.4 percent respectively. Nine carload commodity groups, led by farm products excluding grain, posted an increase over the 2008 comparison week.
Carload volume on Eastern railroads was up 4.7 percent from the same week last year, but down 1.5 percent from 2008. In the West, carload volume was up 8.4 percent from the same week last year and up .9 percent from two years ago.
For the first 35 weeks of 2010, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 9,945,718 carloads, up 7.1 percent from 2009, but down 12.6 percent from 2008, and 7,494,424 trailers or containers, up 14.4 percent from 2009, but down 4.7 percent from 2008.”
Source: AAR
Rail Data looks good but also a little seasonal bump helps
on the other hand LH Truckers not doing so well–flat to neutral shipments
The Rail data is probably represents this trade off.
And its cheaper to ship by Rail–who would have thought?
Agreed in re the seasonal nature of RR volumes.
As a retired wholesale industry guy, we historically started getting our Christmas merchandise in late September.
The increases over 2009 make sense since last year shell shocked business folks were very cautious in their seasonal ordering.
Things look essentially flat versus 2008, so I’d hold off judgment for a couple months.
Rails at the expense of trucks — if times were good, this would be a good thing: fuel savings, less pollution, etc.. However, this is just about saving money.