AAR reported that U.S. Class I railroads originated a record 233,811 carloads of crude oil in 2012, up 256 percent from the 65,751 carloads of crude oil originated in 2011. Crude oil in 2012 represented 0.8 percent of all U.S. Class I rail carloads, up from 0.2 percent in 2011.  AAR reports crude-only carloading data on a quarterly basis, with 4th quarter of 2012 seeing 81,122 carloads. AAR also reported mixed rail traffic for the week ending Feb.16, 2013, with total U.S. weekly carloads of 278,596 carloads, down 1.2 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 251,078 units, up 13.6 percent compared with the same week last year.  Total U.S. traffic for the week was 529,674 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.3 percent compared with the same week last year. Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2012, with petroleum products, up 56.1 percent, and nonmetallic minerals and products, up 12.1 percent. Commodities showing a decrease were led by grain, down 14.3 percent. For the first seven weeks of 2013, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,891,569 carloads, down 5 percent from the same point last year, and 1,664,387 intermodal units, up 6.8 percent from last year. Total U.S. traffic for the first seven weeks of 2013 was 3,555,956 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.2 percent from last year. Canadian railroads reported 79,336 carloads for the week, up 1.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 53,927 intermodal units, up 5.7 percent compared with 2012. For the first seven weeks of 2013, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 531,873 carloads, up 1.9 percent from the same point last year, and 356,040 intermodal units, up 4.6 percent from last year.

Mexican railroads reported 15,919 carloads for the week, up 11.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,601 intermodal units, up 1.3 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first seven weeks of 2013 is 98,556 carloads, up 7.7 percent from the same point last year, and 63,243 intermodal units, down 1.7 percent from last year. Combined North American rail volume for the seven weeks of 2013 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 2,521,998 carloads, down 3.2 percent compared with the same point last year, and 2,083,670 trailers and containers, up 6.1 percent compared with last year.