Intermodal up 5.1% in AAR weekly carloads
Written by Railway Age Staff
Total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 548,790 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending August 12, up 2.75% compared with the same week in 2016.
The Association of American Railroads reported total traffic of 268,364 carloads, up 0.3%, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 280,426 containers and trailers, up 5.1%.
Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included coal, 6.4%; nonmetallic minerals, 10.2%, and chemicals, 3.8%.
Weaker than a year ago was grain, 24.4%; petroleum and petroleum products, 17.2%, and motor vehicles and parts, 7.3%.
For the first 32 weeks of this year, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,260,255 carloads, up 5.1%, and 8,513,076 intermodal units, up 3.2%. Total combined U.S. traffic was 16,773,331 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4.2%.
For the week North American rail volume on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 359,244 carloads, up 2%, and 363,979 intermodal units, up 7.1%. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 723,223 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.5%. North American rail volume for the first 32 weeks of 2017 was 22,206,631 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.4% compared with 2016.
Canadian railroads reported 74,885 carloads for the week, up 8%, and 70,969 intermodal units, up 14.6%. For the first 32 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,568,779 carloads, containers and trailers, up 11.5%.
Mexican railroads reported 15,995 carloads for the week, up 4.5%, and 12,584 intermodal units, up 15%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 32 weeks of 2017 was 864,521 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, flat from a year ago.
