AAR: Crude by rail growing

   Domestic Class I railroads transported 108,605 carloads of crude in the second quarter, a record result that is 11.8 percent higher than last quarter, according to the Association of American Railroads.
   When compared to the same period in 2012, this year’s result showed 111 percent growth. Even with these large numbers, the transportation of crude only accounted for 1.5 percent of Class I carloads in the second quarter.
   The U.S. Energy Information Administration pegged the amount of domestic crude oil transported by rail at 11 percent.
   While crude carloads are growing, total domestic carloads are in a bit of decline. Measuring weekly growth, AAR reported carloads for the week of Aug. 24 fell 1.7 percent, year over year, to 291,889 units. Gains in the transportation of petroleum, motor vehicles and nonmetallic minerals were offset by a 15.3 percent drop in grain transportation.
   Intermodal traffic grew 3.5 percent, year over year, to 257,080 units.
   So far this year, domestic carloads have decreased 1.2 percent compared to 2012, while intermodal activity is up 3.5 percent. – Jon Ross