The Association of American Railroads, in reporting rail traffic for the week ending Dec. 26, 2015 (week 51), noted that total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 391,107 carloads and intermodal units, down 9.8% compared with the same week in 2014. Total carloads for the week, pushed by a near-32% drop in coal, nosedived 17.9% to 206,903, compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 184,204 containers and trailers, up 1.6%—not nearly enough to stop the bleeding.
U.S. coal loadings dropped 31.6% 70,350 carloads compared with the same week in 2014. Other commodity groups that posted significant decreases included petroleum and petroleum products, down 26.2% to 10,537 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, down 26.1% to 17,001 carloads.
The silver lining to the coal dust cloud consisted of motor vehicles and parts, up 12.8% to 13,229 carloads; and miscellaneous carloads, up 17.8% to 6,273 carloads
For the first 51 weeks of 2015, intermodal was the only bright spot, as U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 14,058,461 carloads, down 5.8% from the same point last year; and 13,522,726 intermodal units, up 1.6% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 51 weeks of 2015 was 27,581,187 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 2.3% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending Dec. 26, 2015, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 281,217 carloads, down 16.7% compared with the same week last year, and 234,893 intermodal units, up 0.4% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 516,110 carloads and intermodal units, down 9.7%. North American rail volume for the first 51 weeks of 2015 was 35,923,713 carloads and intermodal units, down 2% compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 61,354 carloads for the week, down 13.4%, and 42,647 intermodal units, down 2.3% compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 51 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,960,578 carloads, containers and trailers, down 1.5%.
Mexican railroads reported 12,960 carloads for the week, down 12% compared with the same week last year, and 8,042 intermodal units, down 12.3%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 51 weeks of 2015 was 1,381,948 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 1.2% from the same point last year.