American intermodal volume up on 2010, but demand shows signs of decline

US CONTAINER traffic on Class 1 railways increased 8.7 per cent year on year as of the week ending May 21, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).


But the bad weather that curbed shipments is expected to contribute to slower growth, worsened by falling demand from factories and consumer, reported Newark's Journal of Commerce, which added that while carload volume was higher year on year, traffic has been flat or declining week to week since April.


The 201,363 intermodal loadings hit the highest point for US railways in 2011, beating the previous weekly peak set April 2. Intermodal loadings in the latest week by top US rail carriers came to 234,235 containers and trailers, almost touching that April 2 record and 2,360 more loadings than the previous week.


The 295,148 carloads of bulk or heavy shipments in the week ending May 21 left rail operators 3.5 per cent less than the April 2 weekly peak this year, when the railways originated 305,905 carloads.


The AAR said total North American carloads in the May 21 week totalled 384,715 new shipments, well behind the April 2 peak of 399,971. But transcontinental intermodal moves beyond just the dominant US portion - are now their strongest this year with 291,746 loads in the latest week.
(Source:http://www.schednet.com)