AAR reported mixed rail traffic for the week ending March 9, 2013, with total U.S. weekly carloads of 276,698 carloads, down 0.9 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 235,174 units, up 4 percent compared with the same week last year.  Total U.S. traffic for the week was 511,872 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.3 percent compared with the same week last year. Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2012, led by petroleum products, up 46.5 percent. Commodities showing a decrease were led by grain, down 16.5 percent. For the first ten weeks of 2013, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,730,145 carloads, down 3.7 percent from the same point last year, and 2,386,882 intermodal units, up 7.2 percent from last year. Total U.S. traffic for the first ten weeks of 2013 was 5,117,027 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.1 percent from last year.

Canadian railroads reported 78,758 carloads for the week, up 4.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 52,760 intermodal units, up 7.2 percent compared with 2012. For the first ten weeks of 2013, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 768,915 carloads, up 2.5 percent from the same point last year, and 512,923 intermodal units, up 6.4 percent from last year.

Mexican railroads reported 15,577 carloads for the week, up 13 percent compared with the same week last year, and 9,826 intermodal units, up 24.5 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first ten weeks of 2013 is 146,211 carloads, up 9.6 percent from the same point last year, and 94,366 intermodal units, up 5.2 percent from last year.  

Combined North American rail volume for the ten weeks of 2013 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 3,645,271 carloads, down 2 percent compared with the same point last year, and 2,994,171 trailers and containers, up 7 percent compared with last year.