The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending July 21, 2018.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 553,024 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.9 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending July 21 were 265,338 carloads, up 3.8 percent compared with the same week in 2017, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 287,686 containers and trailers, up 5.9 percent compared to 2017.
Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2017. They included grain, up 3,359 carloads, to 23,767; petroleum and petroleum products, up 2,009 carloads, to 11,102; and chemicals, up 1,785 carloads, to 32,043. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 were coal, down 2,469 carloads, to 85,865; and forest products, down 82 carloads, to 10,313.
For the first 29 weeks of 2018, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 7,524,473 carloads, up 1.6 percent from the same point last year; and 7,973,779 intermodal units, up 6.2 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 29 weeks of 2018 was 15,498,252 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.9 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending July 21, 2018, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 367,733 carloads, up 4.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 374,898 intermodal units, up 4.7 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 742,631 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.5 percent. North American rail volume for the first 29 weeks of 2018 was 20,890,754 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.6 percent compared with 2017.
Canadian railroads reported 80,302 carloads for the week, up 7.2 percent, and 69,249 intermodal units, up 2.9 percent compared with the same week in 2017. For the first 29 weeks of 2018, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,282,727 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3.8 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 22,093 carloads for the week, down 0.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 17,963 intermodal units, down 4.9 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 29 weeks of 2018 was 1,109,775 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers.
