The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported mixed weekly rail traffic for the week ending July 20, 2013, with total U.S. weekly carloads of 277,933 carloads, down 3 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 253,424 units, up 2.8 percent compared with the same week last year.  Total U.S. rail traffic for the week was 531,357 combined carloads and intermodal units, down 0.3 percent compared with the same week last year.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2012, led by petroleum and petroleum products with 13,361 carloads, up 28 percent. Commodities showing a decrease compared with the same week last year included grain with 16,090 carloads, down 9.1 percent.

For the first 29 weeks of 2013, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,020,326 carloads, down 1.5 percent from the same point last year, and 6,977,660 intermodal units, up 3.4 percent from last year. Total U.S. traffic for the first 29 weeks of 2013 was 14,997,986 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.7 percent from last year.

Canadian railroads reported 74,216 carloads for the week, down 3.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 56,104 intermodal units, up 5.5 percent compared with 2012. For the first 29 weeks of 2013, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,252,052 carloads, up 1.3 percent from the same point last year, and 1,526,956 intermodal units, up 4.3 percent from last year.

Mexican railroads reported 16,252 carloads for the week, up 5.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,960 intermodal units, up 5 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 29 weeks of 2013 is 446,336 carloads, up 9.2 percent from the same point last year, and 273,125 intermodal units, down 0.1 percent from last year.

Combined North American rail volume for the 29 weeks of 2013 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 10,718,714 carloads, down 0.5 percent compared with the same point last year, and 8,777,741 trailers and containers, up 3.5 percent compared with last year.