The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending January 21, 2017. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 530,299 carloads and intermodal units, up 8.1 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending January 21 were 262,496 carloads, up 10.7 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 267,803 containers and trailers, up 5.8 percent compared to 2016.  

Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included coal, up 22.4 percent to 90,786 carloads; grain, up 16.3 percent to 24,485 carloads; and miscellaneous carloads, up 12.7 percent to 10,052 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 were petroleum and petroleum products, down 17.7 percent to 10,217 carloads; and forest products, down 5 percent to 9,726 carloads.  

For the first 3 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 736,865 carloads, up 2.5 percent from the same point last year; and 751,080 intermodal units, down 3.2 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 3 weeks of 2017 was 1,487,945 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 0.5 percent compared to last year.  

North American rail volume for the week ending January 21, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 359,088 carloads, up 11 percent compared with the same week last year, and 342,843 intermodal units, up 5.8 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 701,931 carloads and intermodal units, up 8.4 percent. North American rail volume for the first 3 weeks of 2017 was 1,961,848 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.2 percent compared with 2016.  

Canadian railroads reported 79,951 carloads for the week, up 16.2 percent, and 63,635 intermodal units, up 7.2 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 3 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 400,755 carloads, containers and trailers, up 4.9 percent.  

Mexican railroads reported 16,641 carloads for the week, down 4.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,405 intermodal units, down 0.9 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 3 weeks of 2017 was 73,148 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 10.5 percent from the same point last year.