The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Aug. 22, 2015.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 567,943 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.4 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending Aug. 22, 2015 were 288,971 carloads, down 3.7 percent compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 278,972 containers and trailers, up 5 percent compared to 2014.
Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2014. They included: miscellaneous carloads, up 16.4 percent to 10,204 carloads; farm products, up 7.1 percent to 16,670 carloads and motor vehicles and parts, up 4.8 percent to 18,077 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2014 included: metallic ores and metals, down 15.1 percent to 22,970 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, down 12.1 percent to 14,420 carloads; and coal, down 6.4 percent to 107,273 carloads and.
For the first 33 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 9,172,144 carloads, down 4.3 percent from the same point last year; and 8,766,756 intermodal units, up 2.6 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 33 weeks of 2015 was 17,938,900 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 1 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending Aug. 22, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 380,676 carloads, down 3.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 354,498 intermodal units, up 4.7 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 735,174 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first 33 weeks of 2015 was 23,391,005 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.5 percent compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 75,307 carloads for the week, down 4.7 percent, and 63,884 intermodal units, up 4.3 percent compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 33 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,558,182 carloads, containers and trailers, up 1.2 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 16,398 carloads for the week, up 2.1 percent compared with the same week last year, 11,642 intermodal units, down 0.9 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 33 weeks of 2015 was 893,923 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.2 percent from the same point last year.
