The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 18, 2017. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 495,281 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.4 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending March 18 were 246,465 carloads, up 4.6 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 248,816 containers and trailers, up 0.3 percent compared to 2016.
Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included coal, up 18.9 percent to 77,123 carloads; grain, up 8.1 percent to 23,243 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, up 3.3 percent to 33,255 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included motor vehicles and parts, down 13.8 percent to 16,621 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, down 9.3 percent to 9,655 carloads; and miscellaneous carloads, down 5.9 percent to 9,237 carloads.
For the first 11 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,803,485 carloads, up 4.9 percent from the same point last year; and 2,854,161 intermodal units, up 0.2 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 11 weeks of 2017 was 5,657,646 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 2.5 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending March 18, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 345,292 carloads, up 6.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 319,052 intermodal units, up 2.3 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 664,344 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.3 percent. North American rail volume for the first 11 weeks of 2017 was 7,478,833 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.3 percent compared with 2016.
Canadian railroads reported 81,651 carloads for the week, up 12.4 percent, and 60,051 intermodal units, up 11.4 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 11 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,531,393 carloads, containers and trailers, up 7.9 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 17,176 carloads for the week, up 3.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,185 intermodal units, up 1.7 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 11 weeks of 2017 was 289,794 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.4 percent from the same point last year.
