Weekly rail traffic fall 4.4 percent amid floods

The Association of American Railroads said freight carried on the tracks for the week ending June 14 totaled 324,337 carloads.

Volume fell 4.4 percent in the West, where cargo is primarily carried by Union Pacific Corp. and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. Volume slipped 4.5 percent in the East, where freight is mostly hauled by CSX Corp. and Norfolk Southern Corp.

Intermodal volume, which is not included in carload totals, fell 4.8 percent from a year ago. Intermodal involves moving freight from one method of transportation to another, such as truck to rail.

By commodity, shipments of motor vehicles and equipment fell 17.6 percent, while carloads of lumber and wood products declined 17.1 percent.

Farm products excluding grain fell 16.1 percent. Shipments of grain rose 6.2 percent.

Metallic ore carloads jumped 14.6 percent and shipments of food and food products rose 6.8 percent.

So far this year, shipments on U.S. rails are up 0.6 percent compared with the same period in 2007.