The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending February 23, 2019.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 522,630 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.1 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending February 23 were 256,954 carloads, up 2 percent compared with the same week in 2018, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 265,676 containers and trailers, down 3.9 percent compared to 2018.
Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2018. They included petroleum and petroleum products, up 2,135 carloads, to 12,188; miscellaneous carloads, up 1,874 carloads, to 9,749; and grain, up 1,636 carloads, to 21,695. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2018 were motor vehicles and parts, down 819 carloads, to 16,705; farm products excl. grain, and food, down 704 carloads, to 15,792; and chemicals, down 613 carloads, to 30,982.
For the first eight weeks of 2019, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,987,943 carloads, up 0.4 percent from the same point last year; and 2,133,036 intermodal units, down 0.1 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first eight weeks of 2019 was 4,120,979 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 0.1 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending February 23, 2019, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 353,012 carloads, up 1.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 350,312 intermodal units, down 3.6 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 703,324 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.9 percent. North American rail volume for the first eight weeks of 2019 was 5,535,619 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.1 percent compared with 2018.
Canadian railroads reported 74,785 carloads for the week, up 2.4 percent, and 66,290 intermodal units, down 2.8 percent compared with the same week in 2018. For the first eight weeks of 2019, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,140,368 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2.7 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 21,273 carloads for the week, down 0.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 18,346 intermodal units, down 2.7 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first eight weeks of 2019 was 274,272 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 9.4 percent from the same point last year.
