The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending December 23, 2017. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 551,566 carloads and intermodal units, up 11 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending December 23 were 270,356 carloads, up 10.8 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 281,210 containers and trailers, up 11.3 percent compared to 2016.
Nine of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included nonmetallic minerals, up 9,934 carloads, to 34,424; metallic ores and metals, up 5,576 carloads, to 25,589; and coal, up 5,374 carloads, to 89,997. One commodity group posted a decrease compared with the same week in 2016: grain, down 183 carloads, to 22,425.
For the first 51 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 13,283,446 carloads, up 3.1 percent from the same point last year; and 13,809,482 intermodal units, up 4.0 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 51 weeks of 2017 was 27,092,928 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.6 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending December 23, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 371,882 carloads, up 10.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 360,676 intermodal units, up 13.2 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 732,558 carloads and intermodal units, up 12 percent. North American rail volume for the first 51 weeks of 2017 was 35,960,443 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.9 percent compared with 2016.
Canadian railroads reported 83,911 carloads for the week, up 9.7 percent, and 68,925 intermodal units, up 23.3 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 51 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 7,460,974 carloads, containers and trailers, up 10.9 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 17,615 carloads for the week, up 16.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,541 intermodal units, up 6.4 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 51 weeks of 2017 was 1,406,541 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 1.9 percent from the same point last year.
