The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 26, 2017.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 551,776 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.3 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending August 26 were 272,153 carloads, up 1 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 279,623 containers and trailers, up 3.6 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 4,756 carloads, to 96,317; metallic ores and metals, up 2,467 carloads, to 23,941; and nonmetallic minerals, up 2,444 carloads, to 39,999. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included motor vehicles and parts, down 3,237 carloads, to 16,156; grain, down 1,845 carloads, to 19,881; and farm products excl. grain, and food, down 1,532 carloads, to 14,926.
For the first 34 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,805,020 carloads, up 4.9 percent from the same point last year; and 9,075,045 intermodal units, up 3.4 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 34 weeks of 2017 was 17,880,065 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4.1 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending August 26, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 371,895 carloads, up 4.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 363,257 intermodal units, up 5.1 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 735,152 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.6 percent. North American rail volume for the first 34 weeks of 2017 was 23,674,601 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.4 percent compared with 2016.
Canadian railroads reported 82,484 carloads for the week, up 15.2 percent, and 71,079 intermodal units, up 10.6 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 34 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,872,097 carloads, containers and trailers, up 11.6 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 17,258 carloads for the week, up 7.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 12,555 intermodal units, up 10.6 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 34 weeks of 2017 was 922,439 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 0.3 percent from the same point last year.
