Econintersect: Week 23 of 2013 ending 08 June shows same week total rail traffic (from same week one year ago) declined slightly according to data released by the Association of American Railroads (AAR). Railcar count is down this week but intermodal is up – but overall slightly negative overall growth.
- Weekly overall data is down, and up ignoring coal and grain;
- Four week rolling average is improving, and better than the rolling average one year ago;
- 13 week rolling average is improving, and better than the rolling average one year ago;
- 52 week rolling average statistically unchanged, and better than the rolling average one year ago;
A summary of the data:
“Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2012, led by petroleum and petroleum products, up 27.8 percent. Commodities showing a decrease compared with the same week last year included grain, down 22.5 percent.
For the first 23 weeks of 2013, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 6,359,429 carloads, down 1.7 percent from the same point last year, and 5,513,692 intermodal units, up 4 percent from last year. Total U.S. traffic for the first 23 weeks of 2013 was 11,873,121 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.9 percent from last year.”
USA coal production is down 5.6% same week year-over-year, and coal over the last few months is becoming a neutral to positive dynamic on rail.
This Week | Carloads | Intermodal | Total |
This week Year-over-Year | -2.9% | 2.5% | -0.3% |
Ignoring coal and grain | 2.3% | ||
Year Cumulative to Date | -1.7% | 4.0% | 0.9% |
[click on graph below to enlarge]
Current Rail Chart
/images/z rail1.pn
From EIA.gov:
For the week ended June 08, 2013:
Source: AAR