Total U.S. weekly rail traffic down 10.6%

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 7, 2016: Total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 492,923 carloads and intermodal units, down 10.6% compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending May. 7 were 233,047 carloads, down 14.8% compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 259,876 containers and trailers, down 6.4% 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 6.7% to 9,839 carloads; chemicals, up 1.6% to 31,075 carloads; and grain, up 0.1% to 18,004 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included coal, down 33.5% to 62,394 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, down 26.4% to 11,394 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, down 12.8% to 20,569 carloads.

For the first 18 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 4,320,667 carloads, down 14.3% from the same point last year; and 4,628,008 intermodal units, down 1.1% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 18 weeks of 2016 was 8,948,675 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 8% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending May. 7, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 314,690 carloads, down 14.8% compared with the same week last year, and 330,817 intermodal units, down 5.8% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 645,507 carloads and intermodal units, down 10.4%. North American rail volume for the first 18 weeks of 2016 was 11,740,770 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.5% compared with 2015.

Canadian railroads reported 65,949 carloads for the week, down 17%, and 59,876 intermodal units, down 4.5% compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 18 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,313,684 carloads, containers and trailers, down 6.9%.

Mexican railroads reported 15,694 carloads for the week, down 3.5% compared with the same week last year, and 11,065 intermodal units, up 1.7%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 18 weeks of 2016 was 478,411 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 0.3% from the same point last year.

The AAR also reported U.S. Class I railroads originated 63,261 carloads of crude oil in the first quarter of 2016, down 21,664 carloads or 25.5% from the fourth quarter of 2015 and down 49,828 carloads or 44.1% from the first quarter of 2015.