The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Aug. 15, 2015.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 564,502 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.7 percent compared with the same week last year.   

Total carloads for the week ending Aug. 19, 2015 were 288,059 carloads, down 5.2 percent compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 276,443 containers and trailers, up 2.3 percent compared to 2014.  

Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2014. They included: miscellaneous carloads, up 16.8 percent to 9,949 carloads; grain, up 9.6 percent to 19,708 carloads and motor vehicles and parts, up 3.2 percent to 17,940 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2014 included: metallic ores and metals, down 15.4 percent to 23,787 carloads; coal, down 10.4 percent to 106,339 carloads and petroleum and petroleum products, down 10.3 percent to 14,034 carloads.  

For the first 32 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,883,173 carloads, down 4.3 percent from the same point last year; and 8,487,784 intermodal units, up 2.5 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 32 weeks of 2015 was 17,370,957 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 1.1 percent compared to last year.  

North American rail volume for the week ending Aug. 15, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 378,436 carloads, down 5.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 352,114 intermodal units, up 2.3 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 730,550 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.1 percent. North American rail volume for the first 32 weeks of 2015 was 22,655,831 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.5 percent compared with 2014.   

Canadian railroads reported 73,297 carloads for the week, down 10.2 percent, and 64,361 intermodal units, up 3.6 percent compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 32 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,418,991 carloads, containers and trailers, up 1.2 percent.  

Mexican railroads reported 17,080 carloads for the week, up 5.6 percent compared with the same week last year, 11,310 intermodal units, down 3.3 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 32 weeks of 2015 was 865,883 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.2 percent from the same point last year.