The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending November 25, 2017.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 463,602 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.4 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending November 25 were 230,326 carloads, up 0.2 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 233,276 containers and trailers, up 4.7 percent compared to 2016.
Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included nonmetallic minerals, up 4,507 carloads, to 29,579; metallic ores and metals, up 1,616 carloads, to 19,802; and motor vehicles and parts, up 1,537 carloads, to 14,309. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included grain, down 3,820 carloads, to 18,771; coal, down 2,192 carloads, to 81,340; and farm products excl. grain, and food, down 1,044 carloads, to 14,531.
For the first 47 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 12,199,607 carloads, up 3 percent from the same point last year; and 12,653,426 intermodal units, up 3.7 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 47 weeks of 2017 was 24,853,033 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.3 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending November 25, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 324,960 carloads, up 0.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 309,922 intermodal units, up 5.3 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 634,882 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.7 percent. North American rail volume for the first 47 weeks of 2017 was 32,993,547 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.7 percent compared with 2016.
Canadian railroads reported 78,305 carloads for the week, essentially flat compared to last year, and 65,648 intermodal units, up 8.8 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 47 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,848,611 carloads, containers and trailers, up 10.6 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 16,329 carloads for the week, up 3.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,998 intermodal units, up 0.1 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 47 weeks of 2017 was 1,291,903 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 1.4 percent from the same point last year.
