For the week ending July 4, 2015 total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 506,284 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.7% compared with the same week last year, as carload traffic dipped and intermodal grew, the Association of American Railroads reported on July 8.
Total U.S. carloads for the week were 251,269 carloads, down 7.1% compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 255,015 containers and trailers, up 12.3% compared to 2014.
Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2014. They are: miscellaneous carloads, up 6.2% to 8,287 carloads; nonmetallic minerals, up 5.4% to 33,876 carloads; and farm products, up 3.7% to 15,219 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2014 included: coal, down 18.5% to 82,924 carloads; metallic ores and metals, down 10.6% to 23,893 carloads; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 8.5% to 13, 684 carloads.
For the first 26 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 7,181,837 carloads, down 3.9% from the same point last year; and 6,860,044 intermodal units, up 2.7% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 26 weeks of 2015 was 14,041,881 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 0.8% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending July 4, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 339,947 carloads, down 6.6% compared with the same week last year, and 325,156 intermodal units, up 10% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 665,103 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.8%. North American rail volume for the first 26 weeks of 2015 was 18,332,492 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.1% compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 73,489 carloads for the week, down 5.1%, and 59,804 intermodal units, up 4.3% compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 26 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,592,844 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2.3%.
Mexican railroads reported 15,189 carloads for the week, down 5.2 % compared with the same week last year, and 10,337 intermodal units, down 8.2%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 26 weeks of 2015 was 697,767 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.5% from the same point last year.