The AAR on April 8, 2015 reported, for the week ending April 4, 2015, total U.S. weekly rail traffic of 549,021 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.5% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads were 277,894, down 6.2% compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 271, 175 containers and trailers, up 3.8% compared to 2014.
Two of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases with the same week in 2014. They were: grain, up 5.7% to 20,868 carloads; and forest products, up 2.3% to 11,215 carloads. Commodity groups that saw decreases during this one week included coal, which was down 11.7% to 102,298 carloads; metallic ores and metals, down 6.2% to 21,836 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, down 5.2% to 34,648 carloads.
For the first three weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,644,976 carloads, down 0.2% from the same point last year; and 3,289,725 intermodal units, up 0.4% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 13 weeks of 2015 was 6,934,701 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 370,042 carloads, down 4.8% compared with the same week last year; and 340,265 intermodal units, up 3.3%. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 710,307 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.1%. And North American rail volume for the first 13 weeks of 2015 was 9,043,491 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.6% compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 77,920 carloads for the week, up 1.2%, and 61,736 intermodal units, up 5.8% compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 13 weeks of 2014, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,766,813 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 7.9%.
Mexican railroads reported 14,228 carloads for the week, down 9.4% compared with the same week last year, and 7.402 intermodal units, down 25.8%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 13 weeks of 2015 was 341,977 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2% from the same point last year.