U.S. Class I railroads originated 113,089 carloads of crude oil in the first quarter of 2015, down 17,982 carloads or 13.7% from the fourth quarter of 2014, the Association of American Railroads noted as it reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 16, 2015.
U.S. carloads dropped sharply for this week, offset only partially by robust intermodal growth. Total carloads were 269,092, down 10% compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 280,107 containers and trailers, up 4.9% compared to 2014. Total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 549,199 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.9% compared with the same week last year.
Only one of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2014—motor vehicles and parts, up 1% to 19,021 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2014 included metallic ores and metals, down 16.5% to 22,655 carloads; coal, down 15.3% to 93,664 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, down 10.6% to 34,086 carloads.
For the first 19 weeks of 2015, intermodal gains offset carload decreases. U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,312,651 carloads, down 2.2% from the same point last year; and 4,959,620 intermodal units, up 1.9% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 19 weeks of 2015 was 10,272,271 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 0.3% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending May 16, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 365,068 carloads, down 9.1% compared with the same week last year, and 355,252 intermodal units, up 5% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America, was 720,320 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.7%. North American rail volume for the first 19 weeks of 2015 was 13,401,930 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.8% compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 79,268 carloads for the week, down 8.3%, and 64,098 intermodal units, up 5.3% compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 19 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,627,089 carloads, containers and trailers, up 4.9%.
Mexican railroads reported 16,708 carloads for the week, up 2.6% compared with the same week last year, and 11,047 intermodal units, up 4.1%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 19 weeks of 2015 was 502,570 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.9% from the same point last year.