For the week ending July 25, 2015, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 557,612 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.5% compared with the same week last year, as only one of 10 commodity groups posted an increase, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on July 29.
Total U.S. carloads for the week were 286,660 carloads, down 6.7% compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 270,952 containers and trailers, up 2.3% compared to 2014.
One of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2014. It was grain, up 10.9% to 22,091 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2014 included: metallic ores and metals, down 14.9% to 24,609 carloads; miscellaneous carloads, down 13.9% to 8,512 carloads and coal, down 10.9% to 103,588 carloads.
For the first 29 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,017,322 carloads, down 4.2% from the same point last year; and 7,667,449 intermodal units, up 2.6% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 29 weeks of 2015 was 15,684,771 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 1% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending July 25, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 382,581 carloads, down 5.7% compared with the same week last year, and 344,413 intermodal units, up 2.2% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 726,994 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.1%. North American rail volume for the first 29 weeks of 2015 was 20,476,086 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.3% compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 78,271 carloads for the week, down 5.1%, and 62,604 intermodal units, up 2.8% compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 29 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,010,705 carloads, containers and trailers, up 1.8%.
Mexican railroads reported 17,650 carloads for the week, up 9.6% compared with the same week last year, and 10,857 intermodal units, down 4.9%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 29 weeks of 2015 was 780,610 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.4% from the same point last year.