The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending December 16, 2017.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 554,779 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.9 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending December 16 were 265,169 carloads, up 4.1 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 289,610 containers and trailers, up 7.6 percent compared to 2016.
Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included nonmetallic minerals, up 6,158 carloads, to 34,003; chemicals, up 2,436 carloads, to 32,224; and metallic ores and metals, up 2,178 carloads, to 23,137. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 were grain, down 795 carloads, to 23,571; farm products excl. grain, and food, down 641 carloads, to 15,651; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 453 carloads, to 10,639.
For the first 50 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 13,013,090 carloads, up 3.0 percent from the same point last year; and 13,528,272 intermodal units, up 3.8 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 50 weeks of 2017 was 26,541,362 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.4 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending December 16, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 363,454 carloads, up 6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 369,866 intermodal units, up 9.7 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 733,320 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.8 percent. North American rail volume for the first 50 weeks of 2017 was 35,227,885 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.8 percent compared with 2016.
Canadian railroads reported 81,454 carloads for the week, up 11.3 percent, and 69,454 intermodal units, up 21.1 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 50 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 7,308,138 carloads, containers and trailers, up 10.8 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 16,831 carloads for the week, up 12.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,802 intermodal units, up 3.4 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 50 weeks of 2017 was 1,378,385 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 1.7 percent from the same point last year.
