(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, June 17, 2015)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending June 13, 2015.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 554,461 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.9 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending June 13, 2015 were 271,098 carloads, down 8.1 percent compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 283,363 containers and trailers, up 4.9 percent compared to 2014. This marks the highest week on record for intermodal units.
Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2014. They included: miscellaneous carloads, up 10.4 percent to 9,020 carloads; motor vehicles and parts, up 7.8 percent to 18,750; and chemicals, up 1 percent to 30,070 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2014 included: coal, down 18.3 percent to 89,694 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, down 12.6 percent to 14,130 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, down 7.5 percent to 25,038 carloads.
For the first 23 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 6,384,231 carloads, down 3.4 percent from the same point last year; and 6,052,558 intermodal units, up 2.3 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 23 weeks of 2015 was 12,436,789 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 0.7 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending June 13, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 361,533 carloads, down 9.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 357,942 intermodal units, up 5.3 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 719,475 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.8 percent. North American rail volume for the first 23 weeks of 2015 was 16,230,682 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.1 percent compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 73,655 carloads for the week, down 16.9 percent, and 63,612 intermodal units, up 7.5 percent compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 23 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,179,246 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 16,780 carloads for the week, up 1.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,967 intermodal units, up 4.3 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 23 weeks of 2015 was 614,647 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.7 percent from the same point last year.