(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, January 21, 2015)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Jan. 17, 2015.
Total cumulative U.S. weekly rail traffic for the week was 551,856 carloads and intermodal units, a slight decline of 1 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending Jan. 17, 2015 were 290,963 up 0.3 percent compared with the same week in 2014 while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 260,893 containers and trailers, down 2.4 percent compared to week two of 2014.
Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2014, led by Grain with 25,062 carloads, up 18.2 percent; and Chemicals with 30,947 carloads, up 4.6 percent. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2014, Nonmetallic Minerals at 31,124 carloads, down 4.4 percent; and Metallic Ores and Metals with 24,656 carloads, down 3.3 percent.
For the first two weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 567,536 carloads, up 3.7 percent from the same point last year, and 501,840 intermodal units, down 0.3 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first two weeks of 2015 was 1,069,376 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.8 percent from last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending Jan. 17, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 386,764 carloads, up 1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 330,972 intermodal units, a decrease of 0.6 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 717,736 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first two weeks of 2015 was 1,390,331 carloads and intermodal units, up 3 percent compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 79,206 carloads for the week, up 2.9 percent, and 58,844 intermodal units, up 7.4 percent compared with the same week in 2014. For the first two weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 268,917 carloads, containers and trailers, up 8.8 percent
Mexican railroads reported 16,595 carloads for the week, up 4.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,235 intermodal units, up 4.3 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first two weeks of 2015 was 52,038 carloads, up 0.7 percent from the same point last year.