The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending October 22, 2016.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 544,092 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.7 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending October 22 were 268,551 carloads, down 5.8 percent compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 275,541 containers and trailers, up 2.6 percent compared to 2015.  

Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They were miscellaneous carloads, up 16.5 percent to 10,852 carloads; grain, up 4.6 percent to 26,442 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, up 0.1 percent to 37,324 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 24.4 percent to 10,037 carloads; metallic ores and metals, down 12.3 percent to 19,115 carloads; and coal, down 10.5 percent to 90,272 carloads.  

For the first 42 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 10,532,634 carloads, down 10.2 percent from the same point last year; and 10,886,011 intermodal units, down 3.1 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 42 weeks of 2016 was 21,418,645 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 6.7 percent compared to last year.  

North American rail volume for the week ending October 22, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 361,718 carloads, down 3.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 348,072 intermodal units, up 2.2 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 709,790 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.9 percent. North American rail volume for the first 42 weeks of 2016 was 28,036,119 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.3 percent compared with 2015.  

Canadian railroads reported 78,461 carloads for the week, up 5.5 percent, and 61,137 intermodal units, down 0.2 percent compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 42 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,485,249 carloads, containers and trailers, down 5.2 percent.  

Mexican railroads reported 14,706 carloads for the week, down 8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,394 intermodal units, up 5.7 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 42 weeks of 2016 was 1,132,225 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.5 percent from the same point last year.