The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending June 23, 2018.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 557,340 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.7 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending June 23 were 268,464 carloads, up 2.5 percent compared with the same week in 2017, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 288,876 containers and trailers, up 4.9 percent compared to 2017.
Nine of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2017. They included metallic ores and metals, up 2,297 carloads, to 24,786; grain, up 2,237 carloads, to 24,104; and chemicals, up 2,059 carloads, to 32,422. One commodity group posted a decrease compared with the same week in 2017: coal, down 3,103 carloads, to 83,006.
For the first 25 weeks of 2018, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 6,476,498 carloads, up 1.3 percent from the same point last year; and 6,860,230 intermodal units, up 5.9 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 25 weeks of 2018 was 13,336,728 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.6 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending June 23, 2018, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 373,229 carloads, up 2.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 376,161 intermodal units, up 3.9 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 749,390 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.3 percent. North American rail volume for the first 25 weeks of 2018 was 17,975,309 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.2 percent compared with 2017.
Canadian railroads reported 83,301 carloads for the week, up 6.5 percent, and 69,868 intermodal units, up 4.1 percent compared with the same week in 2017. For the first 25 weeks of 2018, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,686,302 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3.5 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 21,464 carloads for the week and 17,417 intermodal units. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 25 weeks of 2018 was 952,279 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers.
