The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 12, 2017.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 548,790 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.7 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending August 12 were 268,364 carloads, up 0.3 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 280,426 containers and trailers, up 5.1 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 5,689 carloads, to 94,593; nonmetallic minerals, up 3,779 carloads, to 40,794; and chemicals, up 1,169 carloads, to 31,621. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included grain, down 6,161 carloads, to 19,080; petroleum and petroleum products, down 1,807 carloads, to 8,692; and motor vehicles and parts, down 1,277 carloads, to 16,166.
For the first 32 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,260,255 carloads, up 5.1 percent from the same point last year; and 8,513,076 intermodal units, up 3.2 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 32 weeks of 2017 was 16,773,331 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4.2 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending August 12, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 359,244 carloads, up 2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 363,979 intermodal units, up 7.1 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 723,223 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.5 percent. North American rail volume for the first 32 weeks of 2017 was 22,206,631 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.4 percent compared with 2016.
Canadian railroads reported 74,885 carloads for the week, up 8 percent, and 70,969 intermodal units, up 14.6 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 32 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,568,779 carloads, containers and trailers, up 11.5 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 15,995 carloads for the week, up 4.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 12,584 intermodal units, up 15 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 32 weeks of 2017 was 864,521 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, essentially flat compared to the same point last year.
