The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending October 15, 2016.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 531,936 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.2 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending October 15 were 262,702 carloads, down 6.1 percent compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 269,234 containers and trailers, down 2.2 percent compared to 2015.  

Two of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They were miscellaneous carloads, up 8.7 percent to 10,034 carloads; and grain, up 7.5 percent to 27,300 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 23.9 percent to 10,492 carloads; forest products, down 16.1 percent to 8,744 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, down 12.2 percent to 18,849 carloads.  

For the first 41 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 10,264,083 carloads, down 10.3 percent from the same point last year; and 10,610,470 intermodal units, down 3.3 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 41 weeks of 2016 was 20,874,553 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 6.8 percent compared to last year.  

North American rail volume for the week ending October 15, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 359,464 carloads, down 2.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 341,339 intermodal units, down 1.6 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 700,803 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.1 percent. North American rail volume for the first 41 weeks of 2016 was 27,326,329 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.4 percent compared with 2015.  

Canadian railroads reported 81,573 carloads for the week, up 11.9 percent, and 58,700 intermodal units, down 0.1 percent compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 41 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,345,651 carloads, containers and trailers, down 5.4 percent.  

Mexican railroads reported 15,189 carloads for the week, down 6.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 13,405 intermodal units, up 2.2 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 41 weeks of 2016 was 1,106,125 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.5 percent from the same point last year.