The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported mixed weekly rail traffic for the week ending January 26, 2013, with U.S. railroads originating 265,839 carloads, down 6.3 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 238,789 trailers and containers, up 1.6 percent compared with the same week last year.

Ten of the 20 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2012, with petroleum products, up 56 percent; farm products excluding grain, up 16.9 percent, and primary forest products, up 12 percent. The groups showing a decrease in weekly traffic included metallic ores, down 20.4 percent; iron and steel scrap, down 16.8 percent, and coal, down 14.6 percent.

Weekly carload volume on Eastern railroads was down 11.7 percent compared with the same week last year. In the West, weekly carload volume was down 2.8 percent compared with the same week in 2012.

For the first four weeks of 2013, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,064,904 carloads, down 7 percent from the same point last year, and 919,399 trailers and containers, up 4.7 percent from last year.

Canadian railroads reported 75,764 carloads for the week, up 0.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 52,028 trailers and containers, up 11 percent compared with 2012. For the first four weeks of 2013, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 297,339 carloads, up 2.9 percent from the same point last year, and 201,518 trailers and containers, up 8.8 percent from last year.

Mexican railroads reported 15,394 carloads for the week, up 10.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 9,709 trailers and containers, down 2.3 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first four weeks of 2013 is 52,992 carloads, up 4.4 percent compared with the same point last year, and 33,697 trailers and containers, down 4.9 percent from last year.

Combined North American rail volume for the first four weeks of 2013 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 1,415,235 carloads, down 4.7 percent compared with the same point last year, and 1,154,614 trailers and containers, up 5.1 percent compared with last year.