The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 10, 2018.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 534,282 carloads and intermodal units, up 6.2 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending March 10 were 256,075 carloads, up 1.6 percent compared with the same week in 2017, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 278,207 containers and trailers, up 10.8 percent compared to 2017.
Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2017. They included coal, up 4,134 carloads, to 83,696; chemicals, up 2,089 carloads, to 32,884; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 829 carloads, to 16,882. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 included motor vehicles and parts, down 1,573 carloads, to 16,818; grain, down 1,253 carloads, to 22,995; and miscellaneous carloads, down 951 carloads, to 8,876.
For the first 10 weeks of 2018, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,501,621 carloads, down 1.6 percent from the same point last year; and 2,692,349 intermodal units, up 5.6 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 10 weeks of 2018 was 5,193,970 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 2 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending March 10, 2018, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 357,748 carloads, up 1.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 365,957 intermodal units, up 12.4 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 723,705 carloads and intermodal units, up 7 percent. North American rail volume for the first 10 weeks of 2018 was 6,987,229 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.8 percent compared with 2017.
Canadian railroads reported 79,844 carloads for the week, up 3.8 percent, and 69,402 intermodal units, up 19.9 percent compared with the same week in 2017. For the first 10 weeks of 2018, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,411,060 carloads, containers and trailers, up 1.7 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 21,829 carloads for the week, down 1.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 18,348 intermodal units, up 11.5 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 10 weeks of 2018 was 382,199 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 0.4 percent from the same point last year.
