The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Dec. 28 that for the week ending December 24, 2016, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 496,633 carloads and intermodal units, up 27% compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending December 24 were 243,917 carloads, up 17.9% compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 252,716 containers and trailers, up 37.2% compared to 2015.
*AAR notes: "Christmas Day is not included in the current week this year, but is included in the comparable week in 2015. Therefore, this week's traffic volume is somewhat overstated compared to 2015."
Nine of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They included miscellaneous carloads, up 30.6% to 8,186 carloads; motor vehicles and parts, up 24.6% to 16,491 carloads; and grain, up 24% to 22,582 carloads. One commodity group posted a decrease compared with the same week in 2015: petroleum and petroleum products, down 5.4% to 9,972 carloads.
For the first 51 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 12,880,893 carloads, down 8.4% from the same point last year; and 13,280,460 intermodal units, down 1.8% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 51 weeks of 2016 was 26,161,353 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 5.1% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending December 24, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 335,522 carloads, up 19.2% compared with the same week last year, and 318,376 intermodal units, up 35.5% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 653,898 carloads and intermodal units, up 26.7%. North American rail volume for the first 51 weeks of 2016 was 34,261,472 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.7% compared with 2015.
Canadian railroads reported 76,744 carloads for the week, up 25%, and 55,859 intermodal units, up 31.1% compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 51 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,730,770 carloads, containers and trailers, down 3.3%.
Mexican railroads reported 14,861 carloads for the week, up 13.6% compared with the same week last year, and 9,801 intermodal units, up 21.8%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 51 weeks of 2016 was 1,369,349 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 1.8% from the same point last year.