For the week ending August 6, total US weekly rail traffic was 554,822 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.3 per cent compared with the same week last year, said the Association of American Railroads August 9.
Total carloads for the week ending August 5 were 273,199 carloads, up 1.9 per cent compared with the same week in 2016, while US weekly intermodal volume was 281,623 containers and trailers, up 6.8 per cent compared to 2016.
Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included nonmetallic minerals, coal, and chemicals. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included grain, motor vehicles and parts, and petroleum and petroleum products.
US Weekly Railcar Loadings: Aug 2017
For the first 31 weeks of 2017, US railroads reported cumulative volume of 7,991,891 carloads, up 5.3 per cent from the same point last year; and 8,232,650 intermodal units, up 3.2 per cent from last year, said the AAR. Total combined US traffic for the first 31 weeks of 2017 was 16,224,541 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4.2 per cent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending August 5, 2017, on 13 reporting US, Canadian and Mexican railroads totalled 363,386 carloads, up 2.9 per cent compared with the same week last year, and 362,096 intermodal units, up 8.4 per cent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 725,482 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.6 per cent. North American rail volume for the first 31 weeks of 2017 was 21,483,408 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.4 per cent compared with 2016.
Canadian railroads reported 76,274 carloads for the week, up 8.3 per cent, and 69,263 intermodal units, up 15.6 per cent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 31 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,422,925 carloads, containers and trailers, up 11.5 per cent.