The AAR on March 18, 2015 reported, for the week ending March 14, 2015, total U.S. weekly rail traffic of 553,031 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.5% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads were 278,856 carloads, down 3.5% compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 274,175 containers and trailers, up 7% compared to 2014.
Two of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2014. They were: grain, up 7.8% to 22,771 carloads; and miscellaneous carloads, up 16.7% to 7,979 carloads. Commodity groups that saw decreases during this one week included: petroleum and petroleum producers, down 11.1% to 12,724 carloads; metallic ores and metals, down 7.8% to 20,592 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, down 6.4% to 31,724 carloads.
For the first 10 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,797,529 carloads, up 1.2% from the same point last year; and 2,462,399 intermodal units, down 1.1% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 10 weeks of 2015 was 5,259,928 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.1% compared to last year.
North American rail volume on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 374,693 carloads, down 0.9% compared with the same week last year, and 344,030 intermodal units, up 8% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 718,723 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.2%. North American rail volume for the first 10 weeks of 2015 was 6,872,966 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.9% compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 79,425 carloads for the week, up 8.3%, and 58,541 intermodal units, up 12.1% compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 10 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,345,168 carloads, intermodal containers and trailers, up 9.2%.
Mexican railroads reported 16,362 carloads for the week, up 2.8% compared with the same week last year, and 11,314 intermodal units, up 12.8%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 10 weeks of 2015 was 267,870 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.8% from the same point last year.