The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Feb. 6, 2016. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 504,510 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.4 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending Feb. 6 were 241,680 carloads, down 11.7 percent compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 262,830 containers and trailers, up 10.5 percent compared to 2015. Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They included motor vehicles and parts, up 24.6 percent to 19,216 carloads; miscellaneous carloads, up 20.4 percent to 8,904 carloads; and grain, up 5 percent to 22,257 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included coal, down 30.3 percent to 73,298 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, down 16.8 percent to 11,980 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, down 8.7 percent to 18,737 carloads. For the first 5 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,209,722 carloads, down 15.7 percent from the same point last year; and 1,302,451 intermodal units, up 4.8 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 5 weeks of 2016 was 2,512,173 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 6.2 percent compared to last year. North American rail volume for the week ending Feb. 6, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 327,122 carloads, down 10 percent compared with the same week last year, and 334,377 intermodal units, up 10 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 661,499 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.9 percent. North American rail volume for the first 5 weeks of 2016 was 3,292,279 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.7 percent compared with 2015. Canadian railroads reported 70,220 carloads for the week, down 7.3 percent, and 61,758 intermodal units, up 10 percent compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 5 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 645,694 carloads, containers and trailers, down 5.3 percent. Mexican railroads reported 15,222 carloads for the week, up 7.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 9,789 intermodal units, down 2.1 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 5 weeks of 2016 was 134,412 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 1.7 percent from the same point last year.
