AAR: Rail traffic takes another slight hit
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
For the week ending Sept. 26, 2015, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 566,700 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.8% compared with the same week in 2014, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on Sept. 30, 2015.
Total carloads for the week were 285,856 carloads, down 5.4% compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 280,844 containers and trailers, up 2.1% compared to 2014.
Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2014. They include: grain, up 30.1% to 22,232 carloads; miscellaneous carloads, up 14% to 10,100; and motor vehicles and parts, up 8.7% to 18,727. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2014 included: petroleum and petroleum products, down 22.3% to 13,014 carloads; coal, down 14.2% to 101,561 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, down 10.4% to 24,128 carloads.
For the first 38 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 10,590,411 carloads, down 4.4% from the same point last year; and 10,135,249 intermodal units, up 2.5% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 38 weeks of 2015 was 20,725,660 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 1.2% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending Sept. 26, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 378,328 carloads, down 6.1% compared with the same week last year, and 358,121 intermodal units, up 2.4% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 736,449 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.1%. North American rail volume for the first 38 weeks of 2015 was 26,999,035 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.8% compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 74,779 carloads for the week, down 13.8%, and 63,492 intermodal units, up 1.6% compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 38 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,237,021 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.1%.
Mexican railroads reported 17,693 carloads for the week, up 25.7% compared with the same week last year, and 13,785 intermodal units, up 13.8%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 38 weeks of 2015 was 1,036,354 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.6% from the same point last year.
