For the week ending Nov. 14, 2015, total U.S. rail traffic was 543,681 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.7% compared with the same week in 2014, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on Nov. 18, 2015.
Total carloads for the week ending Nov. 14 were 270,793 carloads, down 8.7% compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 272,888 containers and trailers, down 0.3% compared to 2014.
Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2014. They included: miscellaneous carloads, up 19.8% to 9,077; motor vehicles and parts, up 3.3% to 18,206; and chemicals, up 0.1% to 29,178 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2014 included: metallic ores and metals, down 22.9% to 20,715 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, down 16.8% to 13,171 carloads; and coal, down 14.5% to 95,293 carloads.
For the first 45 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 12,548,012 carloads, down 4.8% from the same point last year; and 12,046,567 intermodal units, up 1.9% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 45 weeks of 2015 was 24,594,579 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 1.6% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending Nov. 14, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 360,217carloads, down 8.7% compared with the same week last year, and 343,868 intermodal units, up 0.9% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 704,085 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.3%. North American rail volume for the first 45 weeks of 2015 was 32,017,218 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.3% compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 74,583 carloads for the week, down 10.1%, and 59,639 intermodal units, up 6.1% compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 45 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,196,320 carloads, containers and trailers, down 0.8%.
Mexican railroads reported 14,841 carloads for the week, down 1.8% compared with the same week last year, and 11,341 intermodal units, up 4.1%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 45 weeks of 2015 was 1,226,319 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 1.4% from the same point last year.