The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending September 24, 2016.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 539,609 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.8 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending September 24 were 268,524 carloads, down 6.1 percent compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 271,085 containers and trailers, down 3.5 percent compared to 2015.
Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They included grain, up 13.4 percent to 25,129 carloads; miscellaneous carloads, up 3.6 percent to 10,488 carloads; and chemicals, up 2.3 percent to 30,194 carloads.Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 20.2 percent to 10,379 carloads; coal, down 13.9 percent to 87,486 carloads; and forest products, down 13.2 percent to 9,928 carloads.
For the first 38 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 9,460,059 carloads, down 10.7 percent from the same point last year; and 9,811,598 intermodal units, down 3.2 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 38 weeks of 2016 was 19,271,657 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 7 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending September 24, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 364,517 carloads, down 3.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 346,138 intermodal units, down 3.4 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 710,655 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.5 percent. North American rail volume for the first 38 weeks of 2016 was 25,207,178 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.7 percent compared with 2015.
Canadian railroads reported 80,497 carloads for the week, up 7.7 percent, and 61,876 intermodal units, down 2.5 percent compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 38 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,915,339 carloads, containers and trailers, down 6.2 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 15,496 carloads for the week, down 13.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 13,177 intermodal units, down 5.3 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 38 weeks of 2016 was 1,020,182 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.6 percent from the same point last year.
