The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending January 14, 2017. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 516,229 carloads and intermodal units, up 2 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending January 14 were 253,223 carloads, up 4.4 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 263,006 containers and trailers, down 0.3 percent compared to 2016.
Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included metallic ores and metals, up 17.6 percent to 21,979 carloads; miscellaneous carloads, up 17.3 percent to 9,895 carloads; and coal, up 13.3 percent to 85,133 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 14.7 percent to 10,960 carloads; forest products, down 5.8 percent to 9,492 carloads; and chemicals, down 5.8 percent to 29,864 carloads.
For the first two weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 474,369 carloads, down 1.6 percent from the same point last year; and 483,277 intermodal units, down 7.5 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first two weeks of 2017 was 957,646 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 4.7 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending January 14, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 343,773 carloads, up 4.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 334,207 intermodal units, up 0.5 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 677,980 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.6 percent. North American rail volume for the first two weeks of 2017 was 1,259,917 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.9 percent compared with 2016.
Canadian railroads reported 75,862 carloads for the week, up 10.5 percent, and 60,227 intermodal units, up 3.6 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first two weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 257,169 carloads, containers and trailers, up 1.3 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 14,688 carloads for the week, down 13.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,974 intermodal units, up 2.6 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first two weeks of 2017 was 45,102 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 14.6 percent from the same point last year.
