Forest products gain in weekly carloads

Weekly U.S. rail traffic was 560,756 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Dec. 9, up 4% percent compared with the same week a year ago, according to the Association of American Railroads.

Traffic totaled 267,963 carloads, up 3.4%, while intermodal volume was 292,793 containers and trailers, up 4.6%.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an on-year increase led by nonmetallic minerals, 9.2%; forest products, 8.4%; chemicals, 8.3%, and petroleum and related products, 8.1%.

Weaker from a year ago were motor vehicles and parts, 7.8%; miscellaneous carloads, 4.3%, and grain, 3%.

For the first 49 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 12,747,921 carloads, up 3% from the same point a year ago, and 13,238,662 intermodal units, up 3.8%. Total combined U.S. traffic was 25,986,583 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.4%.

North American volume for the week on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 366,629 carloads, up 5.1%, and 374,413 intermodal units, up 6.6%. Total combined weekly traffic in North America was 741,042 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.9%. North American volume for the first 49 weeks of this year was 34,494,565 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.7%.

Canadian railroads reported 81,745 carloads for the week, up 10.3%, and 69,967 intermodal units, up 16.7%. For the first 49 weeks volume was 7,157,230 carloads, containers and trailers, up 10.7%. Mexican railroads reported 16,921 carloads for the week, up 9.4%, and 11,653 intermodal units, up 3%. Cumulative volume for the first 49 weeks was 1,350,752 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 1.6%.