The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Dec. 12, 2015.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 544,975 carloads and intermodal units, down 8 percent compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending Dec. 12 were 270,953 carloads, down 13.2 percent compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 274,022 containers and trailers, down 2.3 percent compared to 2014. Two of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2014. They were miscellaneous carloads, up 39.5 percent to 10,764 carloads; and motor vehicles and parts, up 1.8 percent to 19,502 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2014 included metallic ores and metals, down 27.2 percent to 20,935 carloads; coal, down 22.3 percent to 92,934 carloads; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 21.5 percent to 13,417 carloads. For the first 49 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 13,589,488 carloads, down 5.4 percent from the same point last year; and 13,075,037 intermodal units, up 1.7 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 49 weeks of 2015 was 26,664,525 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 2.1 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending Dec. 12, 2015, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 360,775 carloads, down 11.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 341,402 intermodal units, down 2.5 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 702,177 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.6 percent. North American rail volume for the first 49 weeks of 2015 was 34,724,092 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.8 percent compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 73,531 carloads for the week, down 10.2 percent, and 57,493 intermodal units, down 3.8 percent compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 49 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,724,851 carloads, containers and trailers, down 1.1 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 16,291 carloads for the week, up 4.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 9,887 intermodal units, down 2.9 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 49 weeks of 2015 was 1,334,716 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 1.5 percent from the same point last year.
