Crude oil leads 2018 carloads week

The Association of American Railroads said U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Jan. 6 totaled 415,862 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.6% from the year-ago week.

Total traffic was 208,646 carloads, down 5.2%, and 207,216 containers and trailers, down 3.9%. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first week of 2018 was 415,862 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 4.6% on-year.

Of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by AAR, only petroleum and petroleum products posted an increase compared with the same week in 2017, by 8.3%. Decliners included coal, 6.1%; nonmetallic minerals, 9%, and grain, 8.9%.

North American rail volume for the week on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 290,767 carloads, down 4.4%, and 273,095 intermodal units, down 2.5%. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 563,862 carloads and intermodal units, 3.5% weaker.

Canadian railroads reported 66,871 carloads for the week, off 4.5%, and 52,469 intermodal units, up 2.7%. Cumulative volume of 119,340 carloads, containers and trailers was down by 1.4%.

Mexican railroads reported 15,250 carloads for the week, up 7.9%, and 13,410 intermodal units, up 0.7%. Cumulative volume was 28,660 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 4.4% percent from the same point in 2017.