Railroads go nine for ten

Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
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Crude by rail is rebounding. Photo courtesy Strobel Energy Group/EOG Resources–Stroud.

In reporting U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Sept. 15, 2018, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) noted that nine of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2017. Among them were petroleum and petroleum products, up 4,253 carloads to 13,335; chemicals, up 2,153 carloads to 32,650; and farm products excluding grain, and food, up 1,986 carloads to 16,583. Coal was the only commodity group that posted a decrease, down 3,457 carloads to 85,562.

Total carloads for the week ending Sept. 15 were 268,612 carloads, up 3.1% compared with the same week in 2017, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 284,391 containers and trailers, up 6.5% compared to 2017. Total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 553,003 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.8%.

For the first 37 weeks of 2018, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 9,703,638 carloads, up 2% from the same point last year; and 10,237,925 intermodal units, up 6% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 37 weeks of 2018 was 19,941,563 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending September 15, 2018, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 371,432 carloads, up 1.4% compared with the same week last year, and 376,921 intermodal units, up 6.1% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 748,353 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.7%. North American rail volume for the first 37 weeks of 2018 was 26,891,746 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.6% compared with 2017.

Canadian railroads reported 83,028 carloads for the week, down 4.2%, and 74,452 intermodal units, up 3.2% compared with the same week in 2017. For the first 37 weeks of 2018, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,521,091 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3.8%.

Mexican railroads reported 19,792 carloads for the week, up 3.4% compared with the same week last year, and 18,078 intermodal units, up 12.9%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 37 weeks of 2018 was 1,429,092 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers.

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