The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending January 27, 2018.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 543,515 carloads and intermodal units, up 4 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending January 27 were 260,993 carloads, up 1.1 percent compared with the same week in 2017, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 282,522 containers and trailers, up 6.9 percent compared to 2017.
Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2017. They included nonmetallic minerals, up 2,021 carloads, to 32,672; petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,356 carloads, to 11,506; and miscellaneous carloads, up 639 carloads, to 10,964. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 included motor vehicles and parts, down 1,084 carloads, to 17,729; coal, down 588 carloads, to 86,586; and farm products excl. grain, and food, down 265 carloads, to 15,960.
For the first four weeks of 2018, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 952,248 carloads, down 3.9 percent from the same point last year; and 1,027,305 intermodal units, up 2.7 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first four weeks of 2018 was 1,979,553 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 0.6 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending January 27, 2018, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 361,535 carloads, up 0.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 368,373 intermodal units, up 6.3 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 729,908 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.3 percent. North American rail volume for the first four weeks of 2018 was 2,673,803 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.4 percent compared with 2017.
Canadian railroads reported 78,844 carloads for the week, down 1.3 percent, and 67,523 intermodal units, up 5.4 percent compared with the same week in 2017. For the first four weeks of 2018, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 546,061 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.4 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 21,698 carloads for the week, down 1.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 18,328 intermodal units, up 2 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first four weeks of 2018 was 148,189 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 0.3 percent from the same point last year.
