AAR: Freight traffic, total carloads decline

Written by Andrew Corselli
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Total carloads were down and only three commodity groups saw year-over-year increases for the week ended May 25, according to figures released by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Despite last week’s rise in total carloads, such stats for the week ended May 25 were 259,953 carloads, down 5% compared with the same week in 2018, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 268,013 containers and trailers, down 8.3% compared to 2018.

The three carload commodity groups that posted an increase compared with the same week in 2018 were petroleum and petroleum products, up 2,567 carloads, to 13,275; miscellaneous carloads, up 688 carloads, to 10,241; and motor vehicles and parts, up 145 carloads, to 17,042.

Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2018 included coal, down 7,770 carloads, to 76,971; grain, down 3,299 carloads, to 22,495; and metallic ores and metals, down 2,527 carloads, to 23,533.

For the week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 527,966 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.7% compared with the same week last year.

For the first 21 weeks of 2019, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,291,312 carloads, down 2.3% from the same point last year; and 5,607,120 intermodal units, down 2.2% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 21 weeks of 2019 was 10,898,432 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 2.3% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ended May 25, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 365,314 carloads, down 3.6% compared with the same week last year, and 351,625 intermodal units, down 6.7% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 716,939 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.1%. North American rail volume for the first 21 weeks of 2019 was 14,811,216 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.5% compared with 2018.

Canadian railroads reported 84,297 carloads for the week, up 1.1%, and 65,767 intermodal units, down 0.5% compared with the same week in 2018. For the first 21 weeks of 2019, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,147,525 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2.2%.

Mexican railroads reported 21,064 carloads for the week, down 3.4% compared with the same week last year, and 17,845 intermodal units, down 4.4%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 21 weeks of 2019 was 765,259 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 4.6% from the same point last year.

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