Econintersect: Week 13 of 2013 ending March 23 shows same week total rail traffic falling 2012 levels according to data released by the Association of American Railroads (AAR):
- Four week rolling average is unchanged (should be improving this time of year);
- 13 week rolling average is improving (normal);
- 52 week rolling average is improving (normal).
A summary of the data:
“Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2012, including petroleum and petroleum products, up 52.9 percent, and nonmetallic minerals and products up 10.9 percent. Commodities showing a decrease were led by grain, down 14.2 percent.
For the first 14 weeks of 2013, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,851,622 carloads, down 2.5 percent from the same point last year, and 3,316,564 intermodal units, up 5 percent from last year. Total U.S. traffic for the first 14 weeks of 2013 was 7,168,186 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.8 percent from last year.”
USA coal production is up 0.4% same week year-over-year, and coal over the last few months is becoming a tailwind.
| This Week | Carloads | Intermodal | Total |
| This week Year-over-Year | 3.7% | 0.2% | 2.1% |
| Ignoring coal and grain | 7.7% | ||
| Year Cumulative to Date | -2.5% | 5.0% | 0.8% |
[click on graph below to enlarge]
Current Rail Chart
/images/z rail1.pn
From EIA.gov:
For the week ended April 06, 2013:
Source: AAR
