The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 19, 2017.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 554,021 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.4 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending August 19 were 271,675 carloads, up 0.8 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 282,346 containers and trailers, up 8.2 percent compared to 2016.
Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included coal, up 8,391 carloads, to 97,873; nonmetallic minerals, up 3,220 carloads, to 40,109; and metallic ores and metals, up 2,173 carloads, to 23,580. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included grain, down 7,031 carloads, to 17,913; motor vehicles and parts, down 2,346 carloads, to 16,626; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 1,575 carloads, to 9,357.
For the first 33 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,531,930 carloads, up 5 percent from the same point last year; and 8,795,422 intermodal units, up 3.4 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 33 weeks of 2017 was 17,327,352 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4.2 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending August 19, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 365,373 carloads, up 2.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 366,508 intermodal units, up 9.2 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 731,881 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.8 percent. North American rail volume for the first 33 weeks of 2017 was 22,938,512 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.4 percent compared with 2016.
Canadian railroads reported 78,029 carloads for the week, up 10.3 percent, and 71,726 intermodal units, up 14.1 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 33 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,718,534 carloads, containers and trailers, up 11.5 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 15,669 carloads for the week, down 0.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 12,436 intermodal units, up 6.3 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 33 weeks of 2017 was 892,626 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, remaining essentially flat compared to the same point last year.
