AAR reported an increase in traffic for the week ending March 16, 2013, with total U.S. weekly carloads of 280,624 carloads, up 0.5 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 228,806 units, up 0.7 percent compared with the same week last year.  Total U.S. traffic for the week was 509,430 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.6 percent compared with the same week last year. Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2012, including petroleum products, up 58.3 percent, and motor vehicles and parts, up 15.6 percent. Commodities showing a decrease were led by grain, down 19.2 percent. For the first eleven weeks of 2013, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,010,769 carloads, down 3.3 percent from the same point last year, and 2,615,688 intermodal units, up 6.6 percent from last year. Total U.S. traffic for the first eleven weeks of 2013 was 5,626,457 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.1 percent from last year.

Canadian railroads reported 79,664 carloads for the week, up 2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 49,896 intermodal units, up 8.1 percent compared with 2012. For the first eleven weeks of 2013, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 848,579 carloads, up 2.4 percent from the same point last year, and 562,819 intermodal units, up 6.6 percent from last year.

Mexican railroads reported 15,955 carloads for the week, up 8.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 8,583 intermodal units, down 10 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first eleven weeks of 2013 is 162,166 carloads, up 9.5 percent from the same point last year, and 102,949 intermodal units, up 3.8 percent from last year. Combined North American rail volume for the eleven weeks of 2013 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 4,021,514 carloads, down 1.7 percent compared with the same point last year, and 3,281,456 trailers and containers, up 6.5 percent compared with last year.