The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Apr. 16, 2016.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 499,779 carloads and intermodal units, down 10.1 percent compared with the same week last year.   Total carloads for the week ending Apr. 16 were 240,462 carloads, down 12.9 percent compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 259,317 containers and trailers, down 7.4 percent compared to 2015.   Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They included miscellaneous carloads, up 22.8 percent to 9,823 carloads; grain, up 14.3 percent to 20,784 carloads; and chemicals, up 3.4 percent to 32,355 carloads.Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included coal, down 36.5 percent to 63,090 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, down 27.7 percent to 10,887 carloads; and forest products, down 7.5 percent to 9,963 carloads.   For the first 15 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,613,417 carloads, down 14.1 percent from the same point last year; and 3,848,344 intermodal units, up 0.2 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 15 weeks of 2016 was 7,461,761 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 7.3 percent compared to last year.   North American rail volume for the week ending Apr. 16, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 327,138 carloads, down 12.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 329,899 intermodal units, down 6.7 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 657,037 carloads and intermodal units, down 9.8 percent. North American rail volume for the first 15 weeks of 2016 was 9,784,732 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.8 percent compared with 2015.   Canadian railroads reported 70,820 carloads for the week, down 13.7 percent, and 59,305 intermodal units, down 4.8 percent compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 15 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,926,716 carloads, containers and trailers, down 6.2 percent.   Mexican railroads reported 15,856 carloads for the week, down 5.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,277 intermodal units, up 0.2 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 15 weeks of 2016 was 396,255 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 0.6 percent from the same point last year.