(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, May 20, 2015)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 16, 2015.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 549,199 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.9 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending May 16, 2015 were 269,092 carloads, down 10 percent compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 280,107 containers and trailers, up 4.9 percent compared to 2014.
One of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2014. It was motor vehicles and parts, up 1 percent to 19,021 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2014 included: metallic ores and metals, down 16.5 percent to 22,655 carloads; coal, down 15.3 percent to 93,664 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, down 10.6 percent to 34,086 carloads.
For the first 19 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,312,651 carloads, down 2.2 percent from the same point last year; and 4,959,620 intermodal units, up 1.9 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 19 weeks of 2015 was 10,272,271 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 0.3 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending May 16, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 365,068 carloads, down 9.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 355,252 intermodal units, up 5 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America, was 720,320 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.7 percent. North American rail volume for the first 19 weeks of 2015 was 13,401,930 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.8 percent compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 79,268 carloads for the week, down 8.3 percent, and 64,098 intermodal units, up 5.3 percent compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 19 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,627,089 carloads, containers and trailers, up 4.9 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 16,708 carloads for the week, up 2.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,047 intermodal units, up 4.1 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 19 weeks of 2015 was 502,570 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.9 percent from the same point last year.
Crude Oil Carload Update
The AAR also reported U.S. Class I railroads originated 113,089 carloads of crude oil in the first quarter of 2015, down 17,982 carloads or 13.7 percent from the fourth quarter of 2014.