Weekly US rail shipments rise 3.3 percent

The Association of American Railroads said freight carried on the tracks for the week ended July 12 totaled 321,049 carloads.

Volume jumped 6.4 percent in the West, where cargo is primarily carried by Union Pacific Corp. and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. Volumes fell 1.2 percent in the East, where freight is mostly hauled by CSX Corp. and Norfolk Southern Corp.

Intermodal volume 2.8 percent from a year ago. Intermodal involves moving freight from one method of transportation to another, such as truck to rail.

Eleven of 19 carload commodities posted gains from a year earlier. Carloads of metallic ores surged 22.4 percent, grain shipments rose 6.3 percent and coal cars increased 3.9 percent. Among commodities reporting declines were forest products, which fell 19.9 percent, lumber and wood products, which fell 16.4 percent and nonmetallic minerals, which slipped 4.1 percent.

So far this year, shipments on U.S. rails are 0.4 percent compared with the same period in 2007.