(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, March 11, 2015)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Mar. 7, 2015.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 522,383 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.8 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending Mar. 7, 2015 were 268,620 carloads, down 2.1 percent compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 253,762 containers and trailers, up 4 percent compared to 2014.
Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2014. They were: grain, up 11.5 percent to 20,840 carloads; farm products, up 10.1 percent to17,496 carloads; and chemicals, up 2.7 percent, to 30,483 carloads. Commodity groups that saw decreases during this one week included: coal, down 6.5 percent to 101,837 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, down 4.1 percent to 14,187 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, down 2.7 percent to 29,549 carloads.
For the first nine weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,518,673 carloads, up 1.8 percent from the same point last year; and 2,188,224 intermodal units, down 2.1 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first nine weeks of 2015 was 4,706,897 carloads and intermodal units, with no percentage increase compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending Mar.7, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 360,912 carloads, up 0.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 323,067 intermodal units, up 6.2 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 683,979 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first nine weeks of 2015 was 6,154,243 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.8 percent compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 76,315 carloads for the week, up 9.2 percent, and 58,622 intermodal units, up 14.1 percent compared with the same week in 2014. For the first nine weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,207,152 carloads, intermodal containers and trailers, up 9.1 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 15,977 carloads for the week, up 10.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,683 intermodal units, up 19.6 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first nine weeks of 2015 was 240,194 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.5 percent from the same point last year.