Trade tensions as rail freight lags economy

Stuart Chirls Jun 20, 2018

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  1. Stuart Chirls

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    Amid mounting business uncertainty, carload volume among the Class I railroads isn’t quite keeping pace with an economy that is humming along.

    The Association of American Railroads said U.S. rail traffic for the week ending June 16 was 558,098 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.1% compared with the same week a year ago.

    But commodity traffic totaled 269,748 carloads, up 1.9%, while intermodal volume of 288,350 containers and trailers was ahead by 6.3% compared to 2017.

    The Commerce Department revised first-quarter GDP downward from 2.3% to 2.2%, but estimates April-June growth at 3%.

    Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by AAR posted gains, highlighted by petroleum and petroleum products, 20.6%; nonmetallic minerals, 4.8%, and grain, 6.5%.

    Declining were coal, 1.6%; miscellaneous carloads, 12%, and motor vehicles and parts, 1.7%.

    Through the first 24 weeks of 2018, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 6,208,034 carloads, up 1.3%, and 6,571,354 intermodal units, up 6% on-year. Total combined traffic was 12,779,388 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.6%.

    North American rail volume for the week on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 376,555 carloads, up 2.4%, and 375,718 intermodal units, up 4.9%. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 752,273 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.7% percent. North American rail volume for the first 24 weeks of 2018 was 17,225,919 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.2%.

    Canadian railroads reported 84,254 carloads for the week, up 7%, and 69,872 intermodal units, up 3.1%. For the first 24 weeks of 2018, cumulative volume of 3,533,133 carloads, containers and trailers was ahead by 3.5%.

    Mexican railroads reported 22,553 carloads for the week and 17,496 intermodal units. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 24 weeks of 2018 was 913,398 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers.

    The post Trade tensions as rail freight lags economy appeared first on Railway Age.

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