The Association of American Railroads (AAR), in reporting U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 11, 2017, noted that total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 510,638 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.4% compared with the same week last year. Coal, seemingly on the rebound, rose nearly 12%.
Total carloads for the week ending March 11 were 253,664 carloads, up 4.3% compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 256,974 containers and trailers, up 4.5% compared to 2016.
Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included coal, up 11.9% to 79,646 carloads; grain, up 10.9% to 24,248 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, up 10.3% to 35,069 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 15.6% to 9,344 carloads; motor vehicles and parts, down 8.5% to 18,390 carloads; and forest products, down 5.1% to 9,789 carloads.
For the first 10 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,557,020 carloads, up 4.9% from the same point last year; and 2,605,345 intermodal units, up 0.2% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 10 weeks of 2017 was 5,162,365 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 2.5% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending March 11, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 347,055 carloads, up 5.5% compared with the same week last year, and 324,615 intermodal units, up 3.9% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 671,670 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.7%. North American rail volume for the first 10 weeks of 2017 was 6,808,375 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.2% compared with 2016.
Canadian railroads reported 77,024 carloads for the week, up 9%, and 57,958 intermodal units, up 3% compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 10 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,389,691 carloads, containers and trailers, up 7.5%.
Mexican railroads reported 16,367 carloads for the week, up 8.9% compared with the same week last year, and 9,683 intermodal units, down 4.1%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 10 weeks of 2017 was 256,319 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 5.2% from the same point last year.