The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending July 7, 2018.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 485,193 carloads and intermodal units, up 8.6 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending July 7 were 240,514 carloads, up 5.4 percent compared with the same week in 2017, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 244,679 containers and trailers, up 12 percent compared to 2017.
Nine of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2017. They included grain, up 3,207 carloads, to 21,299; nonmetallic minerals, up 2,341 carloads, to 35,270; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,808 carloads, to 10,257. One commodity group posted a decrease compared with the same week in 2017: coal, down 371 carloads, to 76,562.
For the first 27 weeks of 2018, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 6,987,928 carloads, up 1.4 percent from the same point last year; and 7,398,236 intermodal units, up 6.2 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 27 weeks of 2018 was 14,386,164 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.8 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending July 7, 2018, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 338,186 carloads, up 5.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 327,254 intermodal units, up 9.8 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 665,440 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.8 percent. North American rail volume for the first 27 weeks of 2018 was 19,399,124 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.5 percent compared with 2017.
Canadian railroads reported 77,607 carloads for the week, up 9.4 percent, and 64,497 intermodal units, up 2.7 percent compared with the same week in 2017. For the first 27 weeks of 2018, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,982,386 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3.7 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 20,065 carloads for the week, down 0.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 18,078 intermodal units, up 8.6 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 27 weeks of 2018 was 1,030,574 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers.
