Written by: Ben Vient, Managing Editor The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Dec. 21 that for the week ending Dec. 17, 2016, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 523,949 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.3% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending December 17 were 254,700 carloads, down 2.8% compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 269,249 containers and trailers, up 2.2% compared to 2015. Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They were grain, up 5.3% to 24,193 carloads; coal, up 2.5% to 87,219 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, up 1.5% to 20,955 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 15.6% to 11,089 carloads; nonmetallic minerals, down 12.5% to 27,842 carloads; and motor vehicles and parts, down 10.8% to 17,640 carloads. For the first 50 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 12,636,976 carloads, down 8.8% from the same point last year; and 13,027,744 intermodal units, down 2.3% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 50 weeks of 2016 was 25,664,720 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 5.6% compared to last year. North American rail volume for the week ending December 17, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 342,890 carloads, down 3% compared with the same week last year, and 337,068 intermodal units, up 2.1% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 679,958 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.5%. North American rail volume for the first 50 weeks of 2016 was 33,607,574 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.1% compared with 2015. Canadian railroads reported 73,342 carloads for the week, down 1.3%, and 57,428 intermodal units, which was flat compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 50 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,598,167 carloads, containers and trailers, down 3.8%. Mexican railroads reported 14,848 carloads for the week, down 13.3% compared with the same week last year, and 10,391 intermodal units, up 12.9%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 50 weeks of 2016 was 1,344,687 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.1% from the same point last year. Continue reading...
