The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Dec. 5, 2015.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 542,050 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.6 percent compared with the same week last year.   Total carloads for the week ending Dec. 5 were 271,774 carloads, down 12.9 percent compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 270,276 containers and trailers, up 0.8 percent compared to 2014.   Two of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2014. They were miscellaneous carloads, up 15.5 percent to 9,063 carloads; and motor vehicles and parts, up 1.8 percent to 19,025 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2014 included metallic ores and metals, down 24.6 percent to 21,318 carloads; coal, down 21.8 percent to 92,820 carloads; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 14.4 percent to 13,589 carloads.   For the first 48 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 13,318,535 carloads, down 5.3 percent from the same point last year; and 12,801,015 intermodal units, up 1.8 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 48 weeks of 2015 was 26,119,550 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 1.9 percent compared to last year.   North American rail volume for the week ending Dec. 5, 2015, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 364,089 carloads, down 11.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 338,922 intermodal units, up 1.1 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 703,011 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.9 percent. North American rail volume for the first 48 weeks of 2015 was 34,021,915 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.6 percent compared with 2014.   Canadian railroads reported 75,925 carloads for the week, down 9.2 percent, and 58,508 intermodal units, up 4.6 percent compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 48 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,593,827 carloads, containers and trailers, down 1 percent.   Mexican railroads reported 16,390 carloads for the week, up 1.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,138 intermodal units, down 9.4 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 48 weeks of 2015 was 1,308,538 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 1.5 percent from the same point last year.