The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 25, 2017.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 526,471 carloads and intermodal units, up 12 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending March 25 were 260,897 carloads, up 12.4 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 265,574 containers and trailers, up 11.6 percent compared to 2016.
Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included grain, up 21.8 percent to 23,312 carloads; coal, up 19.8 percent to 79,422 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, up 15.8 percent to 22,248 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 were motor vehicles and parts, down 1.5 percent to 18,390 carloads; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 1.4 percent to 10,591 carloads.
For the first 12 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,064,382 carloads, up 5.5 percent from the same point last year; and 3,119,735 intermodal units, up 1.1 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 12 weeks of 2017 was 6,184,117 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.2 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending March 25, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 357,200 carloads, up 12.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 337,745 intermodal units, up 14 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 694,945 carloads and intermodal units, up 13.4 percent. North American rail volume for the first 12 weeks of 2017 was 8,173,778 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.1 percent compared with 2016.
Canadian railroads reported 80,295 carloads for the week, up 13.1 percent, and 62,580 intermodal units, up 21.7 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 12 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,674,268 carloads, containers and trailers, up 8.6 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 16,008 carloads for the week, up 20.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 9,591 intermodal units, up 36.8 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 12 weeks of 2017 was 315,393 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 0.6 percent from the same point last year.l=
