AAR reports weekly rail traffic for week ending August 27, 2016
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 27, 2016.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 539,657 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.2 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending August 27 were 269,645 carloads, down 7.3 percent compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 270,012 containers and trailers, down 5.1 percent compared to 2015.
Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They included grain, up 18.8 percent to 21,727 carloads; motor vehicles and parts, up 6 percent to 19,392 carloads; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 2.1 percent to 16,465 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 27.5 percent to 10,076 carloads; coal, down 15.9 percent to 91,469 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, down 7.9 percent to 21,493 carloads.
For the first 34 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,395,455 carloads, down 11.3 percent from the same point last year; and 8,776,969 intermodal units, down 3 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 34 weeks of 2016 was 17,172,424 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 7.2 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending August 27, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 357,044 carloads, down 7.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 345,673 intermodal units, down 4.2 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 702,717 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.7 percent. North American rail volume for the first 34 weeks of 2016 was 22,453,420 carloads and intermodal units, down 7 percent compared with 2015.
Canadian railroads reported 71,515 carloads for the week, down 5.3 percent, and 64,312 intermodal units, up 0.8 percent compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 34 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,366,568 carloads, containers and trailers, down 7.1 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 15,884 carloads for the week, down 10.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,349 intermodal units, down 8.4 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 34 weeks of 2016 was 914,428 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.2 percent from the same point last year.
