The Association of American Railroads (AAR) on Jan. 18 reported for the week ending Jan. 14, 2017 total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 516,229 carloads and intermodal units, up 2% compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending January 14 were 253,223 carloads, up 4.4% compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 263,006 containers and trailers, down 0.3% compared to 2016.
Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included metallic ores and metals, up 17.6% to 21,979 carloads; miscellaneous carloads, up 17.3% to 9,895 carloads; and coal, up 13.3% to 85,133 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 14.7% to 10,960 carloads; forest products, down 5.8% to 9,492 carloads; and chemicals, down 5.8% to 29,864 carloads.
For the first two weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 474,369 carloads, down 1.6% from the same point last year; and 483,277 intermodal units, down 7.5% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first two weeks of 2017 was 957,646 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 4.7% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending January 14, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 343,773 carloads, up 4.8% compared with the same week last year, and 334,207 intermodal units, up 0.5% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 677,980 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.6%. North American rail volume for the first two weeks of 2017 was 1,259,917 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.9% compared with 2016.
Canadian railroads reported 75,862 carloads for the week, up 10.5%, and 60,227 intermodal units, up 3.6% compared with the same week in 2016. For the first two weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 257,169 carloads, containers and trailers, up 1.3%.
Mexican railroads reported 14,688 carloads for the week, down 13.5% compared with the same week last year, and 10,974 intermodal units, up 2.6%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first two weeks of 2017 was 45,102 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 14.6% from the same point last year.