AAR reports weekly rail traffic for week ending October 7, 2017
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending October 7, 2017.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 554,826 carloads and intermodal units, up 6.3 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending October 7 were 269,336 carloads, up 2 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 285,490 containers and trailers, up 10.8 percent compared to 2016.
Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included nonmetallic minerals, up 5,064 carloads, to 40,402; chemicals, up 3,006 carloads, to 31,190; and metallic ores and metals, up 1,680 carloads, to 21,299. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 were coal, down 2,681 carloads, to 87,521; grain, down 2,111 carloads, to 24,741; and motor vehicles and parts, down 1,747 carloads, to 17,194.
For the first 40 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 10,375,996 carloads, up 3.7 percent from the same point last year; and 10,718,042 intermodal units, up 3.6 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 40 weeks of 2017 was 21,094,038 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.7 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending October 7, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 367,435 carloads, up 2.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 371,039 intermodal units, up 11.6 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 738,474 carloads and intermodal units, up 6.7 percent. North American rail volume for the first 40 weeks of 2017 was 27,979,390 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.1 percent compared with 2016.
Canadian railroads reported 82,819 carloads for the week, up 2.7 percent, and 71,937 intermodal units, up 16.5 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 40 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,794,428 carloads, containers and trailers, up 11.3 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 15,280 carloads for the week, up 0.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 13,612 intermodal units, up 3.2 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 40 weeks of 2017 was 1,090,924 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 0.6 percent from the same point last year.
