PRAGMATIC CAPITALISM – Rail Traffic: Economy Continues to Soften

“The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported declines in weekly rail traffic for the week ending December 8, 2012, with U.S. railroads originating 292,206 carloads, down 1.6 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 240,098 trailers and containers, down 0.3 percent compared with the same week last year.

Twelve of the 20 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2011, with petroleum products, up 59.5 percent; lumber wood and products, up 18.6 percent, and metallic ores, up 16.6 percent. The groups showing a decrease in weekly traffic included grain, down 15.3 percent; metals and products, down 11.9 percent, and coal, down 9.7 percent.

Weekly carload volume on Eastern railroads was down 0.5 percent compared with the same week last year. In the West, weekly carload volume was down 2.4 percent compared with the same week in 2011.

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