The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 13, 2017. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 526,970 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.7 percent compared with the same week last year.

  Total carloads for the week ending May 13 were 255,361 carloads, up 7 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 271,609 containers and trailers, up 4.4 percent compared to 2016.   Nine of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included grain, up 26.3 percent to 23,256 carloads; coal, up 14.5 percent to 74,290 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, up 6.5 percent to 38,167 carloads. One commodity group posted a decrease compared with the same week in 2016: petroleum and petroleum products, down 20.1 percent to 9,387 carloads.   For the first 19 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 4,853,945 carloads, up 6.5 percent from the same point last year; and 4,975,413 intermodal units, up 1.8 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 19 weeks of 2017 was 9,829,358 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4 percent compared to last year.   North American rail volume for the week ending May 13, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 349,305 carloads, up 9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 351,731 intermodal units, up 6.7 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 701,036 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.8 percent. North American rail volume for the first 19 weeks of 2017 was 13,026,065 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.1 percent compared with 2016.   Canadian railroads reported 78,046 carloads for the week, up 20.4 percent, and 68,038 intermodal units, up 17.6 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 19 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,698,147 carloads, containers and trailers, up 10.7 percent.   Mexican railroads reported 15,898 carloads for the week, down 6.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 12,084 intermodal units, up 2.1 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 19 weeks of 2017 was 498,560 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.2 percent from the same point last year.