Carload traffic continues to dip

For the week ending July 18, 2015, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 551,181 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.8% compared with the same week last year, as carload traffic continues to dip while intermodal makes slight gains, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on July 22.

Total U.S. carloads for the week were 277,331 carloads, down 7.3% compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. intermodal volume was 273,850 containers and trailers, up 2.3% compared to 2014.

Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2014. They included: miscellaneous carloads, up 6.3% to 9,337 carloads; farm products, up 1.4% to 16,052 carloads; and chemicals, up 1.1% to 30,057 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2014 included: petroleum and petroleum products, down 20.2% to 13,335 carloads; metallic ores and metals, down 11.7% to 24,698 carloads; and coal, down 11.6% to 99,975 carloads.

For the first 28 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 7,730,662 carloads, down 4.1% from the same point last year; and 7,396,497 intermodal units, up 2.6% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 28 weeks of 2015 was 15,127,159 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 0.9% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending July 18, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 370,609 carloads, down 7% compared with the same week last year, and 347,284 intermodal units, up 2.5% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 717,893 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.6%. North American rail volume for the first 28 weeks of 2015 was 19,749,092 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.3% compared with 2014.

Canadian railroads reported 76,320 carloads for the week, down 7.8%, and 62,638 intermodal units, up 5.5% compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 28 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,869,830 carloads, containers and trailers, up 1.9%.

Mexican railroads reported 16,958 carloads for the week, up 2.1% compared with the same week last year, and 10,796 intermodal units, down 7.4%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 28 weeks of 2015 was 752,103 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.3% from the same point last year.