The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 11, 2017.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 510,638 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.4 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending March 11 were 253,664 carloads, up 4.3 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 256,974 containers and trailers, up 4.5 percent compared to 2016.
Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included coal, up 11.9 percent to 79,646 carloads; grain, up 10.9 percent to 24,248 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, up 10.3 percent to 35,069 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 15.6 percent to 9,344 carloads; motor vehicles and parts, down 8.5 percent to 18,390 carloads; and forest products, down 5.1 percent to 9,789 carloads.
For the first 10 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,557,020 carloads, up 4.9 percent from the same point last year; and 2,605,345 intermodal units, up 0.2 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 10 weeks of 2017 was 5,162,365 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 2.5 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending March 11, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 347,055 carloads, up 5.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 324,615 intermodal units, up 3.9 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 671,670 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.7 percent. North American rail volume for the first 10 weeks of 2017 was 6,808,375 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.2 percent compared with 2016.
Canadian railroads reported 77,024 carloads for the week, up 9 percent, and 57,958 intermodal units, up 3 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 10 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,389,691 carloads, containers and trailers, up 7.5 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 16,367 carloads for the week, up 8.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 9,683 intermodal units, down 4.1 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 10 weeks of 2017 was 256,319 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 5.2 percent from the same point last year.
