The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Jul. 16, 2016:
Total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 520,222 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.6% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending Jul. 16 were 262,202 carloads, down 5.4% compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 258,020 containers and trailers, down 5.8% compared to 2015.
Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They were grain, up 25.3% to 25,681 carloads; miscellaneous carloads, up 14% to 10,647 carloads; and chemicals, up 2.9% to 30,917 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 15.8% to 11,221 carloads; coal, down 15.5% to 84,272 carloads; and forest products, down 10.3% to 9,894 carloads.
For the first 28 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 6,784,480 carloads, down 12.2% from the same point last year; and 7,186,521 intermodal units, down 2.8% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 28 weeks of 2016 was 13,971,001 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 7.6% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending Jul. 16, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 346,234 carloads, down 6.5% compared with the same week last year, and 328,048 intermodal units, down 5.6% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 674,282 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.1%. North American rail volume for the first 28 weeks of 2016 was 18,302,162 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.4% compared with 2015.
Canadian railroads reported 67,832 carloads for the week, down 11.1%, and 59,043 intermodal units, down 5.6% compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 28 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,569,667 carloads, containers and trailers, down 7.8%.
Mexican railroads reported 16,200 carloads for the week, down 5.2% compared with the same week last year, and 10,985 intermodal units, down 0.6%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 28 weeks of 2016 was 761,494 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 0.1% from the same point last year.