The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported increased weekly rail traffic for the week ending July 27, 2013, with total U.S. weekly carloads of 295,532 carloads, up 2.5 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 256,379 units, up 2.4 percent compared with the same week last year.  Total U.S. rail traffic for the week was 551,911 combined carloads and intermodal units, up 2.5 percent compared with the same week last year.

Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2012, led by petroleum and petroleum products with 13,076 carloads, up 23.2 percent. Commodities showing a decrease compared with the same week last year included grain with 17,213 carloads, down 7.6 percent.

For the first 30 weeks of 2013, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,315,858 carloads, down 1.3 percent from the same point last year, and 7,234,039 intermodal units, up 3.4 percent from last year. Total U.S. traffic for the first 30 weeks of 2013 was 15,549,897 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.8 percent from last year.

Canadian railroads reported 76,751 carloads for the week, down 0.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 54,271 intermodal units, down 2.6 percent compared with 2012. For the first 30 weeks of 2013, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,328,803 carloads, up 1.2 percent from the same point last year, and 1,581,227 intermodal units, up 4.1 percent from last year.

Mexican railroads reported 15,816 carloads for the week, down 1.0 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,162 intermodal units, down 9.4 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 30 weeks of 2013 is 462,152 carloads, up 8.8 percent from the same point last year, and 283,287 intermodal units, down 0.5 percent from last year.

Combined North American rail volume for the 30 weeks of 2013 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 11,106,813 carloads, down 0.4 percent compared with the same point last year, and 9,098,553 trailers and containers, up 3.4 percent compared with last year.