The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending December 22, 2018. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 567,252 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.2 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending December 22 were 277,111 carloads, up 3.1 percent compared with the same week in 2017, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 290,141 containers and trailers, up 5.3 percent compared to 2017.
Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2017. They included coal, up 4,039 carloads, to 93,964; petroleum and petroleum products, up 2,019 carloads, to 13,401; and chemicals, up 1,908 carloads, to 35,032. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 included metallic ores and metals, down 1,194 carloads, to 24,385; nonmetallic minerals, down 257 carloads, to 32,826; and farm products excl. grain, and food, down 74 carloads, to 16,391.
For the first 51 weeks of 2018, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 13,430,308 carloads, up 1.7 percent from the same point last year; and 14,271,506 intermodal units, up 5.5 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 51 weeks of 2018 was 27,701,814 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.6 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending December 22, 2018, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 385,992 carloads, up 2.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 379,667 intermodal units, up 4.8 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 765,659 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.9 percent. North American rail volume for the first 51 weeks of 2018 was 37,424,031 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.4 percent compared with 2017.
Canadian railroads reported 87,956 carloads for the week, up 4.8 percent, and 71,747 intermodal units, up 4.4 percent compared with the same week in 2017. For the first 51 weeks of 2018, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 7,738,993 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3.8 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 20,925 carloads for the week, down 6.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 17,779 intermodal units, down 0.8 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 51 weeks of 2018 was 1,983,224 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers.
