The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending September 15, 2018.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 553,003 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.8 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending September 15 were 268,612 carloads, up 3.1 percent compared with the same week in 2017, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 284,391 containers and trailers, up 6.5 percent compared to 2017.
Nine of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2017. They included petroleum and petroleum products, up 4,253 carloads, to 13,335; chemicals, up 2,153 carloads, to 32,650; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 1,986 carloads, to 16,583. One commodity group posted a decrease compared with the same week in 2017: coal, down 3,457 carloads, to 85,562.
For the first 37 weeks of 2018, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 9,703,638 carloads, up 2 percent from the same point last year; and 10,237,925 intermodal units, up 6 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 37 weeks of 2018 was 19,941,563 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending September 15, 2018, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 371,432 carloads, up 1.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 376,921 intermodal units, up 6.1 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 748,353 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.7 percent. North American rail volume for the first 37 weeks of 2018 was 26,891,746 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.6 percent compared with 2017.
Canadian railroads reported 83,028 carloads for the week, down 4.2 percent, and 74,452 intermodal units, up 3.2 percent compared with the same week in 2017. For the first 37 weeks of 2018, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,521,091 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3.8 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 19,792 carloads for the week, up 3.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 18,078 intermodal units, up 12.9 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 37 weeks of 2018 was 1,429,092 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers.
