The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending February 24, 2018.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 528,440 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.8 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending February 24 were 251,970 carloads, down 1.3 percent compared with the same week in 2017, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 276,470 containers and trailers, up 6.7 percent compared to 2017.
Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2017. They included coal, up 781 carloads, to 85,600; petroleum and petroleum products, up 602 carloads, to 10,047; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 103 carloads, to 16,494. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 included grain, down 1,157 carloads, to 20,143; motor vehicles and parts, down 1,093 carloads, to 17,527; and nonmetallic minerals, down 1,044 carloads, to 31,511.
For the first eight weeks of 2018, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,980,887 carloads, down 2.4 percent from the same point last year; and 2,134,607 intermodal units, up 4.3 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first eight weeks of 2018 was 4,115,494 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending February 24, 2018, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 346,089 carloads, down 2.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 363,753 intermodal units, up 6.4 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 709,842 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.8 percent. North American rail volume for the first eight weeks of 2018 was 5,528,880 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.7 percent compared with 2017.
Canadian railroads reported 72,911 carloads for the week, down 6.7 percent, and 68,277 intermodal units, up 6.1 percent compared with the same week in 2017. For the first eight weeks of 2018, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,111,750 carloads, containers and trailers, level with the same week last year.
Mexican railroads reported 21,208 carloads for the week, down 4.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 19,006 intermodal units, up 2.9 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first eight weeks of 2018 was 301,636 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 1.1 percent from the same point last year.
