Broad demand rises bulk rail volume to 2010 peak in North America
A wide-ranging increase in railcar loadings lifted volume in the bulk commodities and equipment categories of rail traffic to their highest levels this year.
The Association of American Railroads said major carriers across North America originated 392,953 carloads of non-intermodal traffic in the week ending Aug. 28.
The AAR also said intermodal hit a new 2010 peak for the third consecutive week at major railroads, and RMI said its RailConnect report showed the strongest traffic since April at North American short line railroads.
The Aug. 28 gain in carloads for the major railroads is up from 381,289 a week earlier and ahead of the 388,432 in the July 31 week that was the previous 2010 peak. However, a big change from then is that after the bounce at the end-of-July carloadings fell sharply the next week, while the jump at the end of August follows almost steady increases since early in the month.
A recent feature of the carload surge has been a return of stronger coal loadings. That is the largest single rail cargo but for years had been weakened by a slumping economy and then by a large overhang of onsite fuel stockpiles at power plants that burn coal. This summer's lengthy heat wave across the U.S. has lifted demand for air conditioning and drawn on those reserves.
Yet the carload rebound is much broader than a single category. A group of rail cargoes related to factory demand have been steadily increasing since early this summer, including chemicals - the second-largest carload category - scrap materials, metal ores, semi-finished metals and motor vehicles. All of those except vehicles increased in the Aug. 28 week, and even that category rose among the U.S.-owned railroads that account for most rail traffic on the continent.
Recent weeks have also seen gains in rail shipments of food, grain and grain mill products, forest products and lumber, and petroleum products. While grain is benefiting from new foreign demand, many of the cargoes are more in line with either a domestic restocking of inventories or a pickup in overall economic activity.
The Association of American Railroads said major carriers across North America originated 392,953 carloads of non-intermodal traffic in the week ending Aug. 28.
The AAR also said intermodal hit a new 2010 peak for the third consecutive week at major railroads, and RMI said its RailConnect report showed the strongest traffic since April at North American short line railroads.
The Aug. 28 gain in carloads for the major railroads is up from 381,289 a week earlier and ahead of the 388,432 in the July 31 week that was the previous 2010 peak. However, a big change from then is that after the bounce at the end-of-July carloadings fell sharply the next week, while the jump at the end of August follows almost steady increases since early in the month.
A recent feature of the carload surge has been a return of stronger coal loadings. That is the largest single rail cargo but for years had been weakened by a slumping economy and then by a large overhang of onsite fuel stockpiles at power plants that burn coal. This summer's lengthy heat wave across the U.S. has lifted demand for air conditioning and drawn on those reserves.
Yet the carload rebound is much broader than a single category. A group of rail cargoes related to factory demand have been steadily increasing since early this summer, including chemicals - the second-largest carload category - scrap materials, metal ores, semi-finished metals and motor vehicles. All of those except vehicles increased in the Aug. 28 week, and even that category rose among the U.S.-owned railroads that account for most rail traffic on the continent.
Recent weeks have also seen gains in rail shipments of food, grain and grain mill products, forest products and lumber, and petroleum products. While grain is benefiting from new foreign demand, many of the cargoes are more in line with either a domestic restocking of inventories or a pickup in overall economic activity.
