For the week ending Nov. 7, 2015, total U.S. rail traffic was 539,165 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.2% compared with the same week in 2014, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on Nov. 11, 2015.
Total carloads for the week ending Nov. 7 were 272,063 carloads, down 8.7% compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 267,102 containers and trailers, down 1.5% compared to 2014.
Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2014. They included: miscellaneous carloads, up 24.1% to 9,862; motor vehicles and parts, up 6% to 17,877; and grain, up 5.2% to 23,428 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2014 included: petroleum and petroleum products, down 19.7% to 12,999 carloads; metallic ores and metals, down 18% to 20,574 carloads; and coal, down 16% to 94,974 carloads.
For the first 44 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 12,277,219 carloads, down 4.7% from the same point last year; and 11,773,679 intermodal units, up 2% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 44 weeks of 2015 was 24,050,898 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 1.5% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending Nov. 7, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 363,122carloads, down 8.8% compared with the same week last year, and 337,479 intermodal units, up 0.4% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 700,601 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.5%. North American rail volume for the first 44 weeks of 2015 was 31,313,133 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.3% compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 76,795 carloads for the week, down 10.7%, and 59,914 intermodal units, up 10% compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 44 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,062,098 carloads, containers and trailers, down 0.7%
Mexican railroads reported 14,264 carloads for the week, up 0.9% compared with the same week last year, and 10,463 intermodal units, up 0.6%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 44 weeks of 2015 was 1,200,137 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 1.5% from the same point last year.