(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, April 8, 2015)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 4, 2015.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 549,021 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.5 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending April 4, 2015 were 277,894 carloads, down 6.2 percent compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 271,127 containers and trailers, up 3.8 percent compared to 2014.
Two of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2014. They were: grain, up 5.7 percent to 20,868 carloads; and forest products, up 2.3 percent to 11,215 carloads. Commodity groups that saw decreases during this one week included: coal, down 11.7 percent to 102,298 carloads; metallic ores and metals, down 6.2 percent to 21,836 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, down 5.2 percent to 34,648 carloads.
For the first 13 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,644,976 carloads, down 0.2 percent from the same point last year; and 3,289,725 intermodal units, up 0.4 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 13 weeks of 2015 was 6,934,701 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.1 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending April 4, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 370,042 carloads, down 4.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 340,265 intermodal units, up 3.3 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 710,307 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.1 percent. North American rail volume for the first 13 weeks of 2015 was 9,043,491 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.6 percent compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 77,920 carloads for the week, up 1.2 percent, and 61,736 intermodal units, up 5.8 percent compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 13 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,766,813 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 7.9 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 14,228 carloads for the week, down 9.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 7,402 intermodal units, down 25.8 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 13 weeks of 2015 was 341,977 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2 percent from the same point last year.