AAR reports weekly rail traffic for week ending May 27, 2017
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 27, 2017. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 548,103 carloads and intermodal units, up 6.7 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending May 27 were 266,564 carloads, up 8 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 281,539 containers and trailers, up 5.4 percent compared to 2016.
Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included grain, up 26.9 percent to 24,740 carloads; coal, up 25.3 percent to 82,481 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, up 11.4 percent to 39,421 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 19.7 percent to 9,857 carloads; miscellaneous carloads, down 6.7 percent to 10,365 carloads; and motor vehicles and parts, down 6.2 percent to 17,720 carloads.
For the first 21 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,380,624 carloads, up 6.5 percent from the same point last year; and 5,531,759 intermodal units, up 2.1 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 21 weeks of 2017 was 10,912,383 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4.2 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending May 27, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 360,141 carloads, up 9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 356,840 intermodal units, up 6.6 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 716,981 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.8 percent. North American rail volume for the first 21 weeks of 2017 was 14,451,456 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.3 percent compared with 2016.
Canadian railroads reported 75,985 carloads for the week, up 16.1 percent, and 63,564 intermodal units, up 12.5 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 21 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,983,034 carloads, containers and trailers, up 10.9 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 17,592 carloads for the week, down 2.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,737 intermodal units, up 5.2 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 21 weeks of 2017 was 556,039 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.1 percent from the same point last year.
