The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 19, 2018.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 546,415 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.6 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending May 19 were 261,273 carloads, up 1.2 percent compared with the same week in 2017, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 285,142 containers and trailers, up 5.9 percent compared to 2017 and the third-highest week ever.
Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2017. They included nonmetallic minerals, up 2,518 carloads, to 40,836; chemicals, up 1,440 carloads, to 31,862; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 986 carloads, to 10,655. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 included grain, down 1,656 carloads, to 22,225; motor vehicles and parts, down 778 carloads, to 17,006; and coal, down 371 carloads, to 78,519.
For the first 20 weeks of 2018, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,141,257 carloads, up 1.1 percent from the same point last year; and 5,443,730 intermodal units, up 5.9 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 20 weeks of 2018 was 10,584,987 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.6 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending May 19, 2018, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 366,260 carloads, up 2.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 372,668 intermodal units, up 4.6 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 738,928 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.4 percent. North American rail volume for the first 20 weeks of 2018 was 14,274,661 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.2 percent compared with 2017.
Canadian railroads reported 83,575 carloads for the week, up 8.3 percent, and 70,974 intermodal units, up 4.4 percent compared with the same week in 2017. For the first 20 weeks of 2018, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,932,441 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3.2 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 21,412 carloads for the week and 16,552 intermodal units. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 20 weeks of 2018 was 757,233 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers.
