Intermodal up for second consecutive week

For the week ending Feb. 13, 2016, North American freight rail traffic experienced a 10% gain in intermodal for the second week in a row, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on Feb. 17, 2016.

North American rail volume for the week ending Feb. 13, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 331,188 carloads, down 13.2% compared with the same week last year, and 333,169 intermodal units, up 8.5% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 664,357 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.5%. North American rail volume for the first six weeks of 2016 was 3,956,636 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.3% compared with 2015.

Total U.S. carloads for the week were 244,334 carloads, down 15.4% compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 260,814 containers and trailers, up 10.4%. Total U.S. rail volume for the week was 505,148 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.8% compared with the same week in 2015.

Two of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They were miscellaneous carloads, up 27.4% to 9,406 carloads; and motor vehicles and parts, up 12.6% to 18,711 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included coal, down 32.5% to 75,249 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, down 23.4% to 11,303 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, down 15.4% to 19,196 carloads.

For the first 6 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,454,056 carloads, down 15.6% from the same point last year; and 1,563,265 intermodal units, up 5.7% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first six weeks of 2016 was 3,017,321 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 5.8% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending Feb. 13, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 331,188 carloads, down 13.2% compared with the same week last year, and 333,169 intermodal units, up 8.5% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 664,357 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.5%. North American rail volume for the first six weeks of 2016 was 3,956,636 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.3% compared with 2015.

Canadian railroads reported 70,900 carloads for the week, down 7.9%, and 60,702 intermodal units, up 0.5% compared with the same week in 2015. For the first six weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 777,296 carloads, containers and trailers, down 5.1%.

Mexican railroads reported 15,954 carloads for the week, up 2.4% compared with the same week last year, and 11,653 intermodal units, up 11.5%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first six weeks of 2016 was 162,019 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.4% from the same point last year.