The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending October 26, 2019.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 513,147 carloads and intermodal units, down 8.8 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending October 26 were 243,321 carloads, down 9.4 percent compared with the same week in 2018, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 269,826 containers and trailers, down 8.3 percent compared to 2018.

None of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2018.  Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2018 included coal, down 14,797 carloads, to 73,184; grain, down 2,152 carloads, to 21,135; and metallic ores and metals, down 2,064 carloads, to 21,291.

For the first 43 weeks of 2019, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 10,843,404 carloads, down 4.2 percent from the same point last year; and 11,457,177 intermodal units, down 4.4 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 43 weeks of 2019 was 22,300,581 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 4.3 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending October 26, 2019, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 344,796 carloads, down 8.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 360,303 intermodal units, down 7.3 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 705,099 carloads and intermodal units, down 8.0 percent. North American rail volume for the first 43 weeks of 2019 was 30,449,640 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.2 percent compared with 2018.

Canadian railroads reported 81,902 carloads for the week, down 7.9 percent, and 71,105 intermodal units, down 3.6 percent compared with the same week in 2018. For the first 43 weeks of 2019, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,523,922 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.7 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 19,573 carloads for the week, down 1.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 19,372 intermodal units, down 5.6 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 43 weeks of 2019 was 1,625,137 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.8 percent from the same point last year.

To view the weekly traffic charts, please click here.