The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending November 19, 2016.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 547,804 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.8 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending November 19 were 271,420 carloads, up 1.3 percent compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 276,384 containers and trailers, up 4.4 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 19.9 percent to 25,916 carloads; farm products excl. grain, and food, up 3.5 percent to 17,057 carloads; and coal, up 1.7 percent to 94,751 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 6.9 percent to 11,076 carloads; metallic ores and metals, down 3.4 percent to 19,099 carloads; and motor vehicles and parts, down 2.5 percent to 18,611 carloads.
For the first 46 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 11,619,023 carloads, down 9.3 percent from the same point last year; and 11,976,927 intermodal units, down 2.7 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 46 weeks of 2016 was 23,595,950 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 6.1 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending November 19, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 368,531 carloads, up 3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 351,168 intermodal units, up 5 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 719,699 carloads and intermodal units, up 4 percent. North American rail volume for the first 46 weeks of 2016 was 30,888,422 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.6 percent compared with 2015.
Canadian railroads reported 81,944 carloads for the week, up 10.8 percent, and 63,086 intermodal units, up 8.4 percent compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 46 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,053,519 carloads, containers and trailers, down 4.4 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 15,167 carloads for the week, down 3.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,698 intermodal units, up 2.6 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 46 weeks of 2016 was 1,238,953 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.1 percent from the same point last year.
