Carloads trend up in latest week

Rejuvenated rail traffic in the United States was ahead by double digits across-the-board in the most recent week, according to the Association of American Railroads.

For the week ending March 17, traffic was 537,338 carloads and intermodal units, up 10.1% compared with the same week in 2017.

Volume totaled 263,352 carloads, up 7.5%, while intermodal volume was 273,986 containers and trailers, up 12.7%.

All 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase from a year ago, including coal, 11.3%; nonmetallic minerals, 10.8%, and metallic ores and metals, 11.5%. Motor vehicles and grain, which had struggled, also posted modest gains.

For the first 11 weeks of 2018, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,764,973 carloads, down 0.8%, and 2,966,335 intermodal units, up 6.2%. Total combined traffic of 5,731,308 carloads and intermodal units was better by 2.7%.

North American rail volume for the week on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 364,314 carloads, up 4.4% compared with the 2017 period, and 360,590 intermodal units, up 12.3%. Total rail traffic in North America was 724,904 carloads and intermodal units, up 8.2%. Volume year-to-date was 7,712,133 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.4%.

Canadian railroads reported 79,314 carloads for the week, down 2.6%, and 68,715 intermodal units, up 14.5%. For the first 11 weeks, rail traffic volume was 1,559,089 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2%.

Mexican railroads saw 21,648 carloads for the week, down 3.4%, and 17,889 intermodal units, down 0.3%. Cumulative volume for the first 11 weeks was 421,736 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 0.5% from the same point a year ago.