The Association of American Railroads (AAR) on August 10, 2016 reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 6, 2016. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 531,595 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.5% compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending August 6 were 268,006 carloads, down 7% compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 263,589 containers and trailers, down 3.9% compared to 2015.
Two of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They were miscellaneous carloads, up 15.7% to 10,555 carloads; and grain, up 12.1% to 24,120 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 24% to 10,508 carloads; coal, down 15.7% to 89,310 carloads; and forest products, down 7.2% to 10,008 carloads.
For the first 31 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 7,588,589 carloads, down 11.7% from the same point last year; and 7,978,993 intermodal units, down 2.8% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 31 weeks of 2016 was 15,567,582 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 7.4% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending August 6, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 352,987 carloads, down 6.5% compared with the same week last year, and 333,906 intermodal units, down 3.6% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 686,893 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.1%. North American rail volume for the first 31 weeks of 2016 was 20,367,175 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.2% compared with 2015.
Canadian railroads reported 70,538 carloads for the week, down 2.8%, and 59,933 intermodal units, down 1% compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 31 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,965,734 carloads, containers and trailers, down 7.4%.
Mexican railroads reported 14,443 carloads for the week, down 14.8% compared with the same week last year, and 10,384 intermodal units, down 7.9%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 31 weeks of 2016 was 833,859 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 1.6% from the same point last year.