Freight traffic down through first three quarters of 2015

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Written by: William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
In reporting weekly U.S. rail traffic, as well as volumes for September 2015 and the first nine months of 2015, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) noted that modest gains in intermodal were not enough to completely offset declines in certain carload commodities, especially those tied to energy and steel.

“Once again, U.S. rail traffic in September was down mainly because of declines in carloads related to energy and steel,” said AAR Senior Vice President Policy and Economics John T. Gray. “Intermodal continues to do well, while results vary for other commodity categories. As we head into the fall shipping season, railroads are confident they will be able to reliably and safely handle the traffic their customers send their way. Now, we just need a bit more cooperation from the economy.”

Carload traffic in September totaled 1,417,750 carloads, down 4.9% or 72,597 carloads from September 2014. U.S. railroads also originated 1,365,980 containers and trailers in September 2015, up 1.2% or 16,272 units from the same month last year. For September 2015, combined U.S. carload and intermodal originations were 2,783,730, down 2% or 56,325 carloads and intermodal units from September 2014.

In September 2015, six of the 20 carload commodity categories tracked by the AAR each month saw carload gains compared with September 2014. This included: grain, up 14.4% or 13,447 carloads; miscellaneous carloads, up 33.1% or 8,057 carloads; and motor vehicles and parts, up 4.9% or 4,239 carloads. Commodities that saw declines in September 2015 from September 2014 included: coal, down 8.2% or 46,085 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, down 15.6% or 12,692 carloads; and primary metal products, down 18.9% or 10,617 carloads.

Excluding coal, carloads were down 2.9% or 26,512 carloads in September 2015 from September 2014.

Total U.S. carload traffic for the first nine months of 2015 was 10,880,686 carloads, down 4.4% or 495,827 carloads, while intermodal containers and trailers were 10,417,267 units, up 2.5% or 249,869 containers and trailers when compared to the same period in 2014. For the first nine months of 2015, total rail traffic volume in the United States was 21,297,953 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.1% or 245,958 carloads and intermodal units from the same point last year.

Total U.S. weekly rail traffic for the week ending Oct. 3, 2015 was 572,293 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.7% compared with the same week last year. For the week there were 290,275 carloads, down 3.2% compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 282,018 containers and trailers, up 1.9% compared to 2014.

Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2014. They included: miscellaneous carloads, up 52.4% to 12,839 carloads; grain, up 10.5% to 25,029; and farm products, up 3% to 16,925. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2014 included: metallic ores and metals, down 22.1% to 21,708 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, down 17.1% to 13,298 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, down 6.4% to 37,349 carloads.

North American rail volume for the week ending Oct. 3, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 382,849 carloads, down 5% compared with the same week last year, and 358,922 intermodal units, up 3.7% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America, was 741,771 carloads and intermodal units, down 1%. North American rail volume for the first 39 weeks of 2015 was 27,740,806 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.8% compared with 2014.

Canadian railroads reported 76,898 carloads for the week, down 12.6%, and 64,518 intermodal units, up 11.4% compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 39 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,378,437 carloads, containers and trailers, which remained flat compared to last year.

Mexican railroads reported 15,676 carloads for the week, up 2.5% compared with the same week last year, and 12,386 intermodal units, up 6.1%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 39 weeks of 2015 was 1,064,416 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.6% from the same point last year.

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