The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Mar. 19, 2016.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 483,463 carloads and intermodal units, down 14 percent compared with the same week last year.   Total carloads for the week ending Mar. 19 were 235,390 carloads, down 17.2 percent compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 248,073 containers and trailers, down 10.7 percent compared to 2015.   Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They were miscellaneous carloads, up 20.4 percent to 9,837 carloads; chemicals, up 4.9 percent to 31,343 carloads; and motor vehicles and parts, up 2.7 percent to 19,273 carloads.Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included coal, down 38.7 percent to 64,754 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, down 26.8 percent to 10,644 carloads; and grain, down 10.6 percent to 21,494 carloads.   For the first 11 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,672,765 carloads, down 13.3 percent from the same point last year; and 2,847,908 intermodal units, up 3.9 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 11 weeks of 2016 was 5,520,673 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 5.2 percent compared to last year.   North American rail volume for the week ending Mar. 19, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 324,512 carloads, down 14.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 312,043 intermodal units, down 9.8 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 636,555 carloads and intermodal units, down 12.1 percent. North American rail volume for the first 11 weeks of 2016 was 7,235,289 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.8 percent compared with 2015.   Canadian railroads reported 72,655 carloads for the week, down 7.3 percent, and 53,982 intermodal units, down 7.4 percent compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 11 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,418,183 carloads, containers and trailers, down 4.3 percent.   Mexican railroads reported 16,467 carloads for the week, up 5.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 9,988 intermodal units, up 1.3 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 11 weeks of 2016 was 296,433 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 1.1 percent from the same point last year.