Rail

Carload volume-at 278,728-was down 4.8 percent annually, and intermodal-at 226,039 trailers and containers—was up 4.2 percent annually.

Carload volume—at 281,989—was down 5.2 percent annually and ahead of the week ending February 11 at 279,501.

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) said today that the seven North America-based Class I freight railroads are on track to invest a record $13 billion in capital expenditures for 2012, with the capital going towards expanding, upgrading, and enhancing the U.S. freight rail network.

The once tenuous situation regarding a potential railroad strike received more good news last week, when the National Railway Labor Conference said that three more railroad unions have ratified new contracts with the Class Is.

Following two straight months of declining freight shipments and expenditures, the December 2011 edition of the Cass Freight Index inched closer to positive territory.

With the clock winding down, the ongoing dispute between railroad management and labor over contractual issues largely focused on health care and economic issues remains in flux.

Intermodal volumes at 239,180 trailers and containers were up 3.5 percent annually.

While the economic recovery has had its fair share of stops and starts, it may be happening again in earnest on the railways. That is the consensus from John Lanigan, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at BNSF Railway.

Despite recent actions taken by the National Industrial Transportation League (NITL) to address an onerous situation, “captive shippers” will continue to pay a monopoly tax on their rail shipments