June continues May’s rail traffic slide

On the heels of a dreary May, things are not looking up for rail traffic in June, according to figures released by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Those factors have yet again combined to slow total U.S. rail traffic for the week ended June 8 to 513,099 carloads, down 8.5% compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week were 246,758 carloads, down 9.1% compared with the same week in 2018, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 266,341 containers and trailers, down 8% compared to 2018.

Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2018. They were petroleum and petroleum products, up 2,346 carloads, to 13,351; chemicals, up 679 carloads, to 32,353; and miscellaneous carloads, up 114 carloads, to 10,187. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2018 include commodities such as coal, down 13,505 carloads, to 71,526; nonmetallic minerals, down 5,669 carloads, to 35,087; and motor vehicles and parts, down 2,243 carloads, to 15,752.

For the first 23 weeks of 2019, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,775,582 carloads, down 2.7% from the same point last year; and 6,114,628 intermodal units, down 2.7% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 23 weeks of 2019 was 11,890,210 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 2.7% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ended June 8, 2019, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 352,521 carloads, down 6.4% compared with the same week last year, and 354,143 intermodal units, down 6.1% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 706,664 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.2%. North American rail volume for the first 23 weeks of 2019 was 16,185,137 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.8% compared with 2018.

Canadian railroads reported 84,023 carloads for the week, up 1.5%, and 69,961 intermodal units, up 1% compared with the same week in 2018. For the first 23 weeks of 2019, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,451,487 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2.2%.

Mexican railroads reported 21,740 carloads for the week, down 2.4% compared with the same week last year, and 17,841 intermodal units, down 3.7%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 23 weeks of 2019 was 843,440 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 4.3% from the same point last year.