The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending June 10, 2017.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 545,317 carloads and intermodal units, up 6.2 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending June 10 were 265,717 carloads, up 7.1 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 279,600 containers and trailers, up 5.3 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 16.7 percent to 85,516 carloads; nonmetallic minerals, up 13.6 percent to 39,867 carloads; and grain, up 10.4 percent to 22,409 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 11.3 percent to 9,601 carloads; motor vehicles and parts, down 5.7 percent to 17,776 carloads; and farm products excl. grain, and food, down 4.2 percent to 15,857 carloads.
For the first 23 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,899,194 carloads, up 6.8 percent from the same point last year; and 6,058,698 intermodal units, up 2.4 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 23 weeks of 2017 was 11,957,892 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4.6 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending June 10, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 360,753 carloads, up 8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 360,333 intermodal units, up 7.5 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 721,086 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.7 percent. North American rail volume for the first 23 weeks of 2017 was 15,843,974 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.6 percent compared with 2016.
Canadian railroads reported 77,599 carloads for the week, up 13.3 percent, and 68,826 intermodal units, up 18.3 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 23 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,272,237 carloads, containers and trailers, up 11.3 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 17,437 carloads for the week, down 0.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,907 intermodal units, up 2.1 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 23 weeks of 2017 was 613,845 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 1.8 percent from the same point last year.
