Weekly rail volume inches ahead

Freight traffic for U.S. railroads for the week ending November 25 was 463,602 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.4% compared with the same week a year ago, according to the Association of American Railroads.

Freight volume totaled 230,326 carloads, up 0.2%, while intermodal volume was 233,276 containers and trailers, up 4.7%.

Four of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by AAR posted an increase on-year, including nonmetallic minerals, 18%; motor vehicles and parts, 12%, and metallic ores and metals, 8.9%.

Decliners included grain, 16.9%; farm products excluding grain, and food, 6.7%, and coal, 2.6%.

For the first 47 weeks of 2017, cumulative volume of 12,199,607 carloads was up 3%, while 12,653,426 intermodal units gained 3.7% from 2016. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 47 weeks of 2017 was 24,853,033 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.3%.

Weekly volume on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 324,960 carloads, up 0.3%, and 309,922 intermodal units, up 5.3% from a year ago. Total combined traffic was 634,882 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.7%. North American rail volume for the first 47 weeks of 2017 was 32,993,547 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.7%.

Canadian railroads reported 78,305 carloads for the week, essentially flat from a year ago, and 65,648 intermodal units, up 8.8%. For the first 47 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 6,848,611 carloads, containers and trailers, up 10.6%. Mexican railroads reported 16,329 carloads for the week, up 3.2%, and 10,998 intermodal units, up 0.1%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 47 weeks was 1,291,903 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 1.4%.