The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 22, 2017. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 515,131 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.7 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending April 22 were 257,283 carloads, up 11.6 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 257,848 containers and trailers, down 1.3 percent compared to 2016.
Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included coal, up 30.9 percent to 76,864 carloads; grain, up 28.7 percent to 23,521 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, up 12.8 percent to 25,194 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included motor vehicles and parts, down 11 percent to 17,030 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, down 8.9 percent to 10,346 carloads; and miscellaneous carloads, down 6.4 percent to 8,913 carloads.
For the first 16 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 4,088,926 carloads, up 6.4 percent from the same point last year; and 4,170,327 intermodal units, up 1.5 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 16 weeks of 2017 was 8,259,253 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.8 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending April 22, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 355,027 carloads, up 12.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 335,235 intermodal units, up 0.6 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 690,262 carloads and intermodal units, up 6.4 percent. North American rail volume for the first 16 weeks of 2017 was 10,932,105 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.8 percent compared with 2016.
Canadian railroads reported 82,040 carloads for the week, up 19.9 percent, and 65,938 intermodal units, up 8.2 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 16 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,254,074 carloads, containers and trailers, up 9.6 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 15,704 carloads for the week, down 5.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,449 intermodal units, up 5.3 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 16 weeks of 2017 was 418,778 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 1.5 percent from the same point last year.
