(Source: Association of American Railways press release, March 18, 2015)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Mar. 14, 2015. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 553,031 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.5 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending Mar. 14, 2015 were 278,856 carloads, down 3.5 percent compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 274,175 containers and trailers, up 7 percent compared to 2014.
Two of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2014. They were: grain, up 7.8 percent to 22,771 carloads; and miscellaneous carloads, up 16.7 percent to7,979 carloads. Commodity groups that saw decreases during this one week included: petroleum and petroleum producers, down 11.1 percent to 12,724 carloads; metallic ores and metals, down 7.8 percent to 20,592 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, down 6.4 percent to 31,724 carloads.
For the first 10 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,797,529 carloads, up 1.2 percent from the same point last year; and 2,462,399 intermodal units, down 1.1 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 10 weeks of 2015 was 5,259,928 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.1 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending Mar. 14, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 374,693 carloads, down 0.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 344,030 intermodal units, up 8 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 718,723 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first 10 weeks of 2015 was 6,872,966 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.9 percent compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 79,425 carloads for the week, up 8.3 percent, and 58,541 intermodal units, up 12.1 percent compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 10 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,345,168 carloads, intermodal containers and trailers, up 9.2 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 16,362 carloads for the week, up 2.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,314 intermodal units, up 12.8 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 10 weeks of 2015 was 267,870 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.8 percent from the same point last year.