The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Jun. 11, 2016.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 513,471 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.5 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending Jun. 11 were 248,039 carloads, down 8.7 percent compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 265,432 containers and trailers, down 6.3 percent compared to 2015.
Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They included miscellaneous carloads, up 16.4 percent to 11,149 carloads; farm products excl. grain, and food, up 2 percent to 16,545 carloads; and grain, up 0.6 percent to 20,300 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 23.5 percent to 10,820 carloads; coal, down 18.3 percent to 73,279 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, down 9.9 percent to 22,642 carloads.
For the first 23 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,522,488 carloads, down 13.5 percent from the same point last year; and 5,914,283 intermodal units, down 2.3 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 23 weeks of 2016 was 11,436,771 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 8 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending Jun. 11, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 333,806 carloads, down 7.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 335,295 intermodal units, down 6.5 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 669,101 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first 23 weeks of 2016 was 14,996,762 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.7 percent compared with 2015.
Canadian railroads reported 68,428 carloads for the week, down 7.5 percent, and 58,207 intermodal units, down 8.4 percent compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 23 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,937,706 carloads, containers and trailers, down 7.6 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 17,339 carloads for the week, up 3.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,656 intermodal units, up 1 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 23 weeks of 2016 was 622,285 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, remaining flat from the same point last year.
