The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending June 24, 2017.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 544,694 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.6 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending June 24 were 263,504 carloads, up 2.3 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 281,190 containers and trailers, up 4.9 percent compared to 2016.
Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included coal, up 11.2 percent to 85,975 carloads; nonmetallic minerals, up 10.4 percent to 39,632 carloads; and chemicals, up 2.2 percent to 30,391 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 16 percent to 9,789 carloads; motor vehicles and parts, down 12.1 percent to 16,997 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, down 8.5 percent to 22,522 carloads.
For the first 25 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 6,429,100 carloads, up 6.6 percent from the same point last year; and 6,616,665 intermodal units, up 2.6 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 25 weeks of 2017 was 13,045,765 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4.5 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending June 24, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 358,880 carloads, up 3.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 360,641 intermodal units, up 6.8 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 719,521 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.3 percent. North American rail volume for the first 25 weeks of 2017 was 17,283,699 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.7 percent compared with 2016.
Canadian railroads reported 78,153 carloads for the week, up 12 percent, and 67,229 intermodal units, up 14.8 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 25 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,564,344 carloads, containers and trailers, up 11.6 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 17,223 carloads for the week, down 5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 12,222 intermodal units, up 10.4 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 25 weeks of 2017 was 673,590 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 1.3 percent from the same point last year.
