The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 20, 2017.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 534,922 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.5 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending May 20 were 260,115 carloads, up 6.4 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 274,807 containers and trailers, up 4.6 percent compared to 2016.
Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included grain, up 24.5 percent to 23,997 carloads; coal, up 18.6 percent to 78,990 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, up 6.4 percent to 39,693 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 16.8 percent to 9,670 carloads; motor vehicles and parts, down 6.8 percent to 17,782 carloads; and forest products, down 1.9 percent to 10,155 carloads.
For the first 20 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,114,060 carloads, up 6.5 percent from the same point last year; and 5,250,220 intermodal units, up 1.9 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 20 weeks of 2017 was 10,364,280 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4.1 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending May 20, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 353,939 carloads, up 7.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 354,471 intermodal units, up 5.6 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 708,410 carloads and intermodal units, up 6.5 percent. North American rail volume for the first 20 weeks of 2017 was 13,734,475 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.2 percent compared with 2016.
Canadian railroads reported 77,163 carloads for the week, up 14.4 percent, and 68,175 intermodal units, up 10.5 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 20 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,843,485 carloads, containers and trailers, up 10.8 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 16,661 carloads for the week, down 7.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,489 intermodal units, up 3.1 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 20 weeks of 2017 was 526,710 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.3 percent from the same point last year.
