The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Nov. 16 that for the week ending November 12, 2016, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 541,127 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.5% compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending November 12 were 272,131 carloads, up 0.5% compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 268,996 containers and trailers, down 1.4% compared to 2015.
Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They included grain, up 23% to 26,817 carloads; miscellaneous carloads, up 5.4% to 9,566 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, up 5.2% to 21,806 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 15.4% to 11,146 carloads; forest products, down 5.6% to 9,677 carloads; and motor vehicles and parts, down 5.4% to 17,227 carloads.
For the first 45 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 11,347,603 carloads, down 9.6% from the same point last year; and 11,700,543 intermodal units, down 2.9% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 45 weeks of 2016 was 23,048,146 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 6.3% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending November 12, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 367,832 carloads, up 2.2% compared with the same week last year, and 339,727 intermodal units, down 1.2% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 707,559 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.5%. North American rail volume for the first 45 weeks of 2016 was 30,168,723 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.8% compared with 2015.
Canadian railroads reported 80,975 carloads for the week, up 8.6%, and 60,237 intermodal units, up 1.1% compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 45 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,908,489 carloads, containers and trailers, down 4.7%.
Mexican railroads reported 14,726 carloads for the week, down 0.4% compared with the same week last year, and 10,494 intermodal units, down 8.2%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 45 weeks of 2016 was 1,212,088 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.1% from the same point last year.