The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending September 8, 2018.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 502,208 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.1 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending September 8 were 253,293 carloads, up 2.6 percent compared with the same week in 2017, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 248,915 containers and trailers, up 5.8 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 3,724 carloads, to 11,649; grain, up 2,657 carloads, to 20,019; and nonmetallic minerals, up 2,419 carloads, to 35,209. One commodity group posted a decrease compared with the same week in 2017: coal, down 6,877 carloads, to 85,466.
For the first 36 weeks of 2018, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 9,435,026 carloads, up 1.9 percent from the same point last year; and 9,953,534 intermodal units, up 6 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 36 weeks of 2018 was 19,388,560 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending September 8, 2018, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 356,999 carloads, up 2.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 333,839 intermodal units, up 6.5 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 690,838 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.4 percent. North American rail volume for the first 36 weeks of 2018 was 26,143,393 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.6 percent compared with 2017.
Canadian railroads reported 82,541 carloads for the week, up 3.9 percent, and 65,354 intermodal units, up 4.1 percent compared with the same week in 2017. For the first 36 weeks of 2018, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,363,611 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3.9 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 21,165 carloads for the week, down 2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 19,570 intermodal units, up 27.2 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 36 weeks of 2018 was 1,391,222 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers.
