All-time weekly record for U.S. intermodal
Written by Railway Age Staff
Total U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Oct. 21 was 559,989 carloads and intermodal units, up 3% from the same week a year ago, according to the Association of American Railroads. Traffic totaled 268,943 carloads, up 0.2%, while intermodal volume was 291,046 containers and trailers, up 5.6%, and a record for a single week.
Five of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by AAR posted gains on-year led by metallic ores and metals, 15.4%; nonmetallic minerals, 10.3%, and chemicals, 7.3%. Decliners included grain, 9.2%; motor vehicles and parts, 8.6%, and coal, 4.2%.
For the first 42 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 10,909,100 carloads, up 3.6%, and 11,293,191 intermodal units, up 3.7%. Combined U.S. traffic was 22,202,291 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.7% on-year.
North American rail volume for the week on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 368,095 carloads, up 1.8%, and 374,525 intermodal units, up 7.6%. Combined weekly traffic totaled 742,620 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.6%. North American rail volume for the first 42 weeks of 2017 was 29,450,729 carloads and intermodal units, up 5% from 2016.
Canadian railroads reported 82,913 carloads for the week, up 5.9%, and 70,492 intermodal units, up 15.4%. For the first 42 weeks of 2017, cumulative volume of 6,099,307 carloads, containers and trailers was up 11.2%.
Mexican railroads reported 16,239 carloads for the week, up 8.7%, and 12,987 intermodal units, up 13.6%. Cumulative volume for the first 42 weeks of this year was 1,149,131 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 0.9%.
