The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 15, 2017.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 519,318 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.9 percent compared with the same week last year.   Total carloads for the week ending April 15 were 255,485 carloads, up 6.2 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 263,833 containers and trailers, up 1.7 percent compared to 2016.   Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They were coal, up 29.7 percent to 81,942 carloads; nonmetallic minerals, up 6.2 percent to 37,865 carloads; and grain, up 3.8 percent to 21,566 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 14.9 percent to 9,267 carloads; motor vehicles and parts, down 12.3 percent to 16,247 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, down 4.4 percent to 22,621 carloads.   The week ending April 15, 2017 included Good Friday, which is a holiday for many railroads and rail customers. The comparable week in 2016 did not include Good Friday.   For the first 15 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,831,643 carloads, up 6 percent from the same point last year; and 3,912,479 intermodal units, up 1.7 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 15 weeks of 2017 was 7,744,122 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.8 percent compared to last year.   North American rail volume for the week ending April 15, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 353,404 carloads, up 7.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 334,847 intermodal units, up 1.5 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 688,251 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.7 percent. North American rail volume for the first 15 weeks of 2017 was 10,241,843 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.6 percent compared with 2016.   Canadian railroads reported 83,898 carloads for the week, up 18.2 percent, and 62,616 intermodal units, up 5.7 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 15 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,106,096 carloads, containers and trailers, up 9.3 percent.   Mexican railroads reported 14,021 carloads for the week, down 12 percent compared with the same week last year, and 8,398 intermodal units, down 25.8 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 15 weeks of 2017 was 391,625 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 1.5 percent from the same point last year.