Total U.S. weekly rail traffic grew to 515,131 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.7%, for the week ending April 22 compared with the same week a year ago, according to the Association of American Railroads.
Carloads reached 257,283, a gain of 11.6%, while intermodal volume totaled 257,848 containers and trailers, a decline of 1.3% from a year ago.
Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase led again by coal, 30.9% to 76,864 carloads; followed by grain, 28.7% to 23,521 carloads, and metallic ores and metals, 12.8% to 25,194 carloads.
Commodities declining from a year ago included motor vehicles and parts, 11% to 17,030 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, 8.9% to 10,346 carloads, and miscellaneous carloads, 6.4% percent to 8,913 carloads.
For the first 16 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads saw cumulative volume of 4,088,926 carloads, up 6.4%, and 4,170,327 intermodal units, gaining 1.5%. Total combined U.S. traffic was 8,259,253 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.8%.
North America rail volume for the week on 13 reporting U.S., Canada and Mexico railroads totaled 355,027 carloads, up 12.5%, and 335,235 intermodal units, up 0.6%. Total combined weekly traffic was 690,262 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 6.4%. Volume totaled 10,932,105 carloads and intermodal units, ahead 4.8%.
Canadian railroads reported 82,040 carloads for the week, up 19.9%, and 65,938 intermodal units, up 8.2% on-year. Volume of 2,254,074 carloads, containers and trailers gained 9.6%.
Mexican railroads reported 15,704 carloads for the week, off 5.4%, and 11,449 intermodal units, an increase of 5.3%. Cumulative volume for the first 16 weeks of this year was 418,778 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, off 1.5% from a year ago.
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