The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 26, 2018. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 565,502 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.4 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending May 26 were 273,226 carloads, up 3 percent compared with the same week in 2017, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 292,276 containers and trailers, up 5.8 percent compared to 2017.
Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2017. They included chemicals, up 2,474 carloads, to 33,674; coal, up 2,088 carloads, to 84,674; and metallic ores and metals, up 1,519 carloads, to 25,939. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 were motor vehicles and parts, down 846 carloads, to 16,874; and miscellaneous carloads, down 845 carloads, to 9,417.
For the first 21 weeks of 2018, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,414,483 carloads, up 1.2 percent from the same point last year; and 5,736,006 intermodal units, up 5.9 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 21 weeks of 2018 was 11,150,489 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.6 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending May 26, 2018, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 376,995 carloads, up 3.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 376,449 intermodal units, up 5 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 753,444 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first 21 weeks of 2018 was 15,028,105 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.2 percent compared with 2017.
Canadian railroads reported 83,017 carloads for the week, up 9.3 percent, and 66,190 intermodal units, up 4.4 percent compared with the same week in 2017. For the first 21 weeks of 2018, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,081,648 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3.4 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 20,752 carloads for the week and 17,983 intermodal units. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 21 weeks of 2018 was 795,968 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers.
