AAR: Total weekly U.S. rail traffic down 5.1%

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported total weekly U.S. rail traffic for the week ending September 17, 2016 was 537,904 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.1% compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending September 17 were 270,336 carloads, down 5.3% compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 267,568 containers and trailers, down 4.9% compared to 2015.

Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They were miscellaneous carloads, up 21.2% to 11,104 carloads; farm products excl. grain, and food, up 4.9% to 16,544 carloads; and chemicals, up 1% to 30,723 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 17.4% to 11,633 carloads; forest products, down 13% to 10,013 carloads; and coal, down 12.5% to 90,369 carloads.

For the first 37 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 9,191,535 carloads, down 10.8% from the same point last year; and 9,540,513 intermodal units, down 3.2% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 37 weeks of 2016 was 18,732,048 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 7.1% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending September 17, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 361,991 carloads, down 3.4% compared with the same week last year, and 339,537 intermodal units, down 3.3% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 701,528 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.4%. North American rail volume for the first 37 weeks of 2016 was 24,496,523 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.8% compared with 2015.

Canadian railroads reported 77,273 carloads for the week, up 3.7%, and 61,593 intermodal units, up 3.5% compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 37 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,772,966 carloads, containers and trailers, down 6.4%.

Mexican railroads reported 14,382 carloads for the week, down 2.5% compared with the same week last year, and 10,376 intermodal units, down 0.2%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 37 weeks of 2016 was 991,509 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.4% from the same point last year.