AAR weekly traffic report: grain up as much as petroleum down
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported for the week ending September 10, 2016, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 482,894 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.4% compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending September 10 were 252,627 carloads, down 6% compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 230,267 containers and trailers, down 4.8% compared to 2015.
Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They were grain, up 26.3% to 22,599 carloads; miscellaneous carloads, up 16.1% to 8,593 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, up 2% to 35,407 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 26.5% to 10,452 carloads; coal, down 15.7% to 87,058 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, down 4.5% to 19,644 carloads.
For the first 36 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,921,199 carloads, down 11% from the same point last year; and 9,272,945 intermodal units, down 3.1% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 36 weeks of 2016 was 18,194,144 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 7.1% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending September 10, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 339,343 carloads, down 5% compared with the same week last year, and 298,511 intermodal units, down 3.9% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 637,854 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.5%. North American rail volume for the first 36 weeks of 2016 was 23,794,995 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.9% compared with 2015.
Canadian railroads reported 72,012 carloads for the week, down 0.8%, and 56,374 intermodal units, up 1.1% compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 36 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,634,100 carloads, containers and trailers, down 6.7%.
Mexican railroads reported 14,704 carloads for the week, down 7% compared with the same week last year, and 11,870 intermodal units, down 8.6%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 36 weeks of 2016 was 966,751 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.4% from the same point last year.
