The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending December 17, 2016. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 523,949 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.3 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending December 17 were 254,700 carloads, down 2.8 percent compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 269,249 containers and trailers, up 2.2 percent compared to 2015.   Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They were grain, up 5.3 percent to 24,193 carloads; coal, up 2.5 percent to 87,219 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, up 1.5 percent to 20,955 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 15.6 percent to 11,089 carloads; nonmetallic minerals, down 12.5 percent to 27,842 carloads; and motor vehicles and parts, down 10.8 percent to 17,640 carloads.   For the first 50 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 12,636,976 carloads, down 8.8 percent from the same point last year; and 13,027,744 intermodal units, down 2.3 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 50 weeks of 2016 was 25,664,720 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 5.6 percent compared to last year.   North American rail volume for the week ending December 17, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 342,890 carloads, down 3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 337,068 intermodal units, up 2.1 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 679,958 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.5 percent. North American rail volume for the first 50 weeks of 2016 was 33,607,574 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.1 percent compared with 2015.   Canadian railroads reported 73,342 carloads for the week, down 1.3 percent, and 57,428 intermodal units, which was flat compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 50 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,598,167 carloads, containers and trailers, down 3.8 percent.   Mexican railroads reported 14,848 carloads for the week, down 13.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,391 intermodal units, up 12.9 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 50 weeks of 2016 was 1,344,687 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.1 percent from the same point last year.