AAR: Rail traffic up 1.1 percent over 2016 for week ending July 22

(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, July 22, 2017)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending July 22, 2017.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 534,152 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.1 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending July 22 were 256,863 carloads, down 2 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 277,289 containers and trailers, up 4.1 percent compared to 2016.

Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They were coal, up 5.3 percent to 88,304 carloads; nonmetallic minerals, up 2.9 percent to 38,630 carloads; and forest products, up 1.9 percent to 10,388 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included grain, down 15.8 percent to 20,316 carloads; miscellaneous carloads, down 15.2 percent to 9,258 carloads; and motor vehicles and parts, down 13.2 percent to 12,696 carloads.

For the first 29 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 7,448,686 carloads, up 5.7 percent from the same point last year; and 7,670,677 intermodal units, up 2.9 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 29 weeks of 2017 was 15,119,363 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4.3 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending July 22, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 348,537 carloads, up 0.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 356,487 intermodal units, up 5.5 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 705,024 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.8 percent. North American rail volume for the first 29 weeks of 2017 was 20,030,682 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.5 percent compared with 2016.

Canadian railroads reported 74,663 carloads for the week, up 6.5 percent, and 67,374 intermodal units, up 9.3 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 29 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,127,599 carloads, containers and trailers, up 11.5 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 17,011 carloads for the week, up 6.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,824 intermodal units, up 19.4 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 29 weeks of 2017 was 783,720 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 1 percent from the same point last year.

Friday, July 28, 2017