The current trend in 2015 U.S. rail freight traffic—intermodal registering gains over prior-year numbers, carload traffic falling—continued for the week ending June 13, 2015, the Association of American Railroads reported. This week was highest on record for intermodal units.
Total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 554,461 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.9% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending June 13, 2015 were 271,098 carloads, down 8.1% compared with the same week in 2014, but U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 283,363 containers and trailers, up 4.9% compared to 2014—a record.
Even with the dip in carload traffic, four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2014: miscellaneous carloads, up 10.4% to 9,020 carloads; motor vehicles and parts, up 7.8% to 18,750; and chemicals, up 1% to 30,070 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2014 included coal, down 18.3% to 89,694 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, down 12.6% to 14,130 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, down 7.5% to 25,038 carloads.
For the first 23 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 6,384,231 carloads, down 3.4% from the same point last year; and 6,052,558 intermodal units, up 2.3% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 23 weeks of 2015 was 12,436,789 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 0.7% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending June 13, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 361,533 carloads, down 9.7% compared with the same week last year, and 357,942 intermodal units, up 5.3% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 719,475 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.8%. North American rail volume for the first 23 weeks of 2015 was 16,230,682 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.1% compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 73,655 carloads for the week, down 16.9%, and 63,612 intermodal units, up 7.5% compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 23 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,179,246 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3%.
Mexican railroads reported 16,780 carloads for the week, up 1.5% compared with the same week last year, and 10,967 intermodal units, up 4.3%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 23 weeks of 2015 was 614,647 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.7% from the same point last year.