Rail freight hot streak continues

Image: fortress.wa.gov

Deep into a summer of simmering trade and economic issues, grain and petroleum continued to lead growing U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 25.

The Association of American Railroads reported total rail traffic was 565,706 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.9% compared with the same week in 2017.

Traffic was 275,334 carloads, up 1.8%, while intermodal volume was 290,372 containers and trailers, ahead 6% from a year ago.

Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase on-year led by petroleum, 21.2%, and grain, 11%. Expected retaliatory tariffs by China on U.S. grain have been propping up shipments bound for export terminals, along with a decrease in the global supply and increase in the U.S. crop.

Metallic ores and metals were also up, by 6.7%.

Coal was weaker from a year ago, off 5.2%, along with miscellaneous carloads, down 0.3%.

For the first 34 weeks of 2018, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,901,367 carloads, up 1.7%, and 9,417,104 containers and trailers, up 6%. Total combined traffic in that time was 18,318,471 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.9%.

North American rail volume for the week on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 381,287 carloads, up 1.6% from a year ago, and 383,099 intermodal units, up 4.8%. Total traffic was 764,386 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.2%. North American volume for the first 34 weeks of 2018 was 24,685,171 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.5%.

Canadian railroads reported 85,021 carloads for the week, up 3.4%, and 72,983 intermodal units, up 2.9% compared to the same week in 2017. For the first 34 weeks of 2018, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,055,944 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3.9%.

Mexican railroads reported 20,932 carloads for the week, down 6.6%, and 19,744 intermodal units, off 4.3%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 34 weeks was 1,310,756 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers.