The Association of American Railroads (AAR) on Oct. 12 reported for the week ending Oct. 8, 2016, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 521,789 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.1% compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week were 264,165 carloads, down 5.9% compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 257,624 containers and trailers, down 6.4% compared to 2015.
Two of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They were grain, up 8.2% to 26,845 carloads; and motor vehicles and parts, up 6.2% to 18,946 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 29.8% to 9,587 carloads; nonmetallic minerals, down 9.5% to 35,305 carloads; and coal, down 8.3% to 90,195 carloads.
For the first 40 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 10,001,381 carloads, down 10.4% from the same point last year; and 10,341,236 intermodal units, down 3.3% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 40 weeks of 2016 was 20,342,617 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 6.9% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 359,824 carloads, down 3.2% compared with the same week last year, and 332,580 intermodal units, down 5.3% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 692,404 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.2%. North American rail volume for the first 40 weeks of 2016 was 26,625,526 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.5% compared with 2015.
Canadian railroads reported 80,645 carloads for the week, up 6.7%, and 61,796 intermodal units, down 1.2% compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 40 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,205,378 carloads, containers and trailers, down 5.7%.
Mexican railroads reported 15,014 carloads for the week, down 4% compared with the same week last year, and 13,160 intermodal units, down 1.8%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 40 weeks of 2016 was 1,077,531 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.5% from the same point last year.