For the week ending July 11, 2015, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 534,097 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.4% compared with the same week last year, as carload traffic dipped and intermodal grew, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on July 15.
Total U.S. carloads for the week were 271,494 carloads, down 6.6% compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 262,603 containers and trailers, up 2.4% compared to 2014.
Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2014. They are: grain, up 8.1% to 18,500 carloads; farm products, up 2.7% to 16,967 carloads; and miscellaneous carloads, up 0.5% to 8,235 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2014 included: petroleum and petroleum products, down 15.9% to 12,882 carloads, coal, down 10.5% to 95,318 carloads; and nonmetallic, down 8.3% to 36,760 carloads.
For the first 27 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 7,453,331 carloads, down 4% from the same point last year; and 7,122,647 intermodal units, up 2.6% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 27 weeks of 2015 was 14,575,978 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 0.9% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending July 11, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 363,004 carloads, down 6.7% compared with the same week last year, and 335,703 intermodal units, up 2.8% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 698,707 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.3%. North American rail volume for the first 27 weeks of 2015 was 19,031,199 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.2% compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 75,213 carloads for the week, down 9.1%, and 62,815 intermodal units, up 5.4% compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 27 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,730,872 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2.1%.
Mexican railroads reported 16,297 carloads for the week, up 4.4% compared with the same week last year, and 10,285 intermodal units, down 0.7%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 27 weeks of 2015 was 724,349 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.5% from the same point last year.