Freight traffic continues to fall despite modest intermodal gains

For the week ending Oct. 10, 2015, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 556,233 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.8% compared with the same week in 2014, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on Oct. 14, 2015.

Total carloads for the week were 281,073 carloads, down 5.8% compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 275,160 containers and trailers, up 0.5% compared to 2014.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2014. They include: miscellaneous carloads, up 24.4% to 10,256; grain, up 21.3% to 24,818 carloads; and motor vehicles and parts, up 2%to 17,846. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2014 included: metallic ores and metals, down 23.5% to 20,084 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, down 16.6% to 13,621 carloads; and coal, down 12.6% to 98,637 carloads.

For the first 40 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 11,161,759 carloads, down 4.4% from the same point last year; and 10,692,427 intermodal units, up 2.4% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 40 weeks of 2015 was 21,854,186 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 1.2% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending Oct. 10, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 372,161carloads, down 8.2% compared with the same week last year, and 351,165 intermodal units, up 1.2% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 723,326 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.9%. North American rail volume for the first 40 weeks of 2015 was 28,464,132 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.9% compared with 2014.

Canadian railroads reported 75,459 carloads for the week, down 16.1% and 62,664 intermodal units, up 4.2% compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 40 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,516,560 carloads, containers and trailers, down 0.2%.

Mexican railroads reported 15,629 carloads for the week, up 8.7% compared with the same week last year, and 13,341 intermodal units, up 3.7%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 40 weeks of 2015 was 1,093,386 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.5% from the same point last year.