North American pulp and paper rail volume off 0.5% in latest week

By James McLaren, Senior Editor, PPI Pulp & Paper Week, RISI

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 12, 2011 (RISI) - North American pulp and paper railroad freight for the week ending Aug. 6 was off 0.5% from a year ago to 9,500 carloads, the Assn of American Railroads reported. Volume through 31 weeks of 2011 at 298,982 carloads was 6% higher than the same period of 2010.

US pulp and paper carloads for the week was up 1.1%, Canada was down 0.9% and Mexico dropped 67.8%.

Total North American rail traffic for the week was up 0.8% and year-to-date was 2.3% higher. Thirteen of the 20 carload commodity groups tracked by AAR posted increases from the comparable week in 2010.

North American lumber and wood products freight for the week at 4,752 carloads was 10.2% higher and year-to-date at 162,890 carloads was up 7.6% from 2010, AAR showed. Primary forest products freight was down 1.2% and 5.8% respectively.

Short-line and regional operator Rail America reported pulp and paper freight in July was unchanged from a year ago while forest products volume was 0.2% higher. Genesee & Wyoming reported pulp and paper freight in July was up 2.2% from 2010 and lumber and forest products carloads were down 10.5%.