Written by: Ben Vient, Managing Editor For the week ending July 23, 2016, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 528,070 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.3% compared with the same week last year, according the Association of American Railroads (AAR). Total carloads for the week ending July 23 were 261,748 carloads, down 8.7% compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 266,322 containers and trailers, down 1.7% compared to 2015. Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They included miscellaneous carloads, up 28.3% to 10,916 carloads; grain, up 9.2% to 24,038 carloads; and chemicals, up 2.5% to 30,432 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 27.5% to 10,260 carloads; coal, down 19.4% to 83,677 carloads; and motor vehicles and parts, down 13.8% to 14,615 carloads. For the first 29 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 7,046,228 carloads, down 12.1% from the same point last year; and 7,452,843 intermodal units, down 2.8% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 29 weeks of 2016 was 14,499,071 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 7.6% compared to last year. North American rail volume for the week ending July 23, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 347,840 carloads, down 9.1% compared with the same week last year, and 337,939 intermodal units, down 1.9% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 685,779 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.7%. North American rail volume for the first 29 weeks of 2016 was 18,987,941 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.3% compared with 2015. Canadian railroads reported 70,111 carloads for the week, down 10.5%, and 61,724 intermodal units, down 1.3% compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 29 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,701,502 carloads, containers and trailers, down 7.7%. Mexican railroads reported 15,981 carloads for the week, down 8.1% compared with the same week last year, and 9,893 intermodal units, down 9.9%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 29 weeks of 2016 was 787,368 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 0.4% from the same point last year. Continue reading...
