For the week ending Sept. 26, 2015, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 566,700 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.8% compared with the same week in 2014, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on Sept. 30, 2015.
Total carloads for the week were 285,856 carloads, down 5.4% compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 280,844 containers and trailers, up 2.1% compared to 2014.
Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2014. They include: grain, up 30.1% to 22,232 carloads; miscellaneous carloads, up 14% to 10,100; and motor vehicles and parts, up 8.7% to 18,727. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2014 included: petroleum and petroleum products, down 22.3% to 13,014 carloads; coal, down 14.2% to 101,561 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, down 10.4% to 24,128 carloads.
For the first 38 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 10,590,411 carloads, down 4.4% from the same point last year; and 10,135,249 intermodal units, up 2.5% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 38 weeks of 2015 was 20,725,660 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 1.2% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending Sept. 26, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 378,328 carloads, down 6.1% compared with the same week last year, and 358,121 intermodal units, up 2.4% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 736,449 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.1%. North American rail volume for the first 38 weeks of 2015 was 26,999,035 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.8% compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 74,779 carloads for the week, down 13.8%, and 63,492 intermodal units, up 1.6% compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 38 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,237,021 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.1%.
Mexican railroads reported 17,693 carloads for the week, up 25.7% compared with the same week last year, and 13,785 intermodal units, up 13.8%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 38 weeks of 2015 was 1,036,354 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.6% from the same point last year.