The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on Dec. 14 that for the week ending December 10, 2016, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 538,932 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.1% compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending December 10 were 259,058 carloads, down 4.3% compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 279,874 containers and trailers, up 2.1% compared to 2015.
One of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. It was grain, up 8.4% to 24,618 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 25.3% to 10,026 carloads; miscellaneous carloads, down 13.1% to 9,350 carloads; and coal, down 5.4% to 87,929 carloads.
For the first 49 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 12,382,276 carloads, down 8.9% from the same point last year; and 12,758,495 intermodal units, down 2.4% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 49 weeks of 2016 was 25,140,771 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 5.7% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending December 10, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 348,491 carloads, down 3.3% compared with the same week last year, and 351,126 intermodal units, up 2.9% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 699,617 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.3%. North American rail volume for the first 49 weeks of 2016 was 32,927,616 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.2% compared with 2015.
Canadian railroads reported 74,123 carloads for the week, up 0.9%, and 60,006 intermodal units, up 4.5% compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 49 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,467,397 carloads, containers and trailers, down 3.8%.
Mexican railroads reported 15,310 carloads for the week, down 6% compared with the same week last year, and 11,246 intermodal units, up 13.4%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 49 weeks of 2016 was 1,319,448 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.1% from the same point last year.