For the week ending May 9, 2015, North American freight rail traffic dipped by about 2.5% compared to the same period in 2104, the Association of American Railroads reported.
Total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 551,034 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.3% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads were 273,433 carloads, down 7.9%, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 277,601 containers and trailers, up 3.8% compared to 2014.
Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2014. They include: motor vehicles and parts, up 8.9% to 18,997 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, up 6.1% to 15,464 carloads; and miscellaneous carloads, up 3.6% to 9,220 carloads. Commodity groups that saw decreases during this one week included: coal, down 16.1% to 93,691 carloads; metallic ores and metals, down 12.1% to 23,572 carloads; and grain, down 11.2% to 17,959 carloads.
For the first 18 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,043,559 carloads, down 1.8% from the same point last year; and 4,679,513 intermodal units, up 1.7%. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 18 weeks of 2015 was 9,723,072 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 0.1% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 368,931 carloads, down 7.5% compared with the same week last year, and 350,845 intermodal units, up 3.2%. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 719,776 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.6%.
North American rail volume for the first 18 weeks of 2015 was 12,681,610 carloads and intermodal units, up 1% compared with 2014. Canadian railroads reported 79,478 carloads for the week, down 8.2%, and 62,748 intermodal units, up 2.7% compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 18 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,483,723 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 5.4%. Mexican railroads reported 16,020 carloads for the week, up 3.3% compared with the same week last year, and 10,496 intermodal units, down 9.8%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 18 weeks of 2015 was 474,815 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.8% from the same point last year.