The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending October 20, 2018.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 555,106 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.5 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending October 20 were 265,776 carloads, down 0.7 percent compared with the same week in 2017, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 289,330 containers and trailers, up 1.6 percent compared to 2017.
Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2017. They included petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,790 carloads, to 11,955; miscellaneous carloads, up 1,267 carloads, to 11,370; and metallic ores and metals, up 1,056 carloads, to 23,369. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 included nonmetallic minerals, down 3,788 carloads, to 36,102; grain, down 1,594 carloads, to 22,431; and farm products excl. grain, and food, down 722 carloads, to 16,808.
For the first 42 weeks of 2018, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 11,047,756 carloads, up 1.8 percent from the same point last year; and 11,691,908 intermodal units, up 5.7 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 42 weeks of 2018 was 22,739,664 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.8 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending October 20, 2018, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 374,491 carloads, up 0.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 381,107 intermodal units, up 1.5 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 755,598 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.1 percent. North American rail volume for the first 42 weeks of 2018 was 30,682,186 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.4 percent compared with 2017.
Canadian railroads reported 87,523 carloads for the week, up 5.3 percent, and 71,830 intermodal units, up 2.1 percent compared with the same week in 2017. For the first 42 weeks of 2018, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,314,875 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3.6 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 21,192 carloads for the week, up 2.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 19,947 intermodal units, down 3.2 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 42 weeks of 2018 was 1,627,647 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers.
