(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, February 25, 2015)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Feb. 21, 2015.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 473,161 carloads and intermodal units, down 11.5 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending Feb. 21, 2015 were 259,544 carloads, down 7.8 percent compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 213,617 containers and trailers, down 15.7 percent compared to 2014.
Grain was the lone commodity group to post an increase compared with the same week in 2014, up 4 percent to 22,877 carloads. Commodity groups that saw decreases during this one week included: motor vehicles and parts, down 12.2 percent to 14,980 carloads, coal, down 12 percent to 96,096 carloads and metallic ores and metals, down 9.2 percent to 20,235 carloads.
For the first seven weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,982,993 carloads, up 3.7 percent from the same point last year, and 1,692,864 intermodal units, down 2.3 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first seven weeks of 2015 was 3,675,857 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.8 percent from last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending Feb. 21, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 344,519 carloads, down 6.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 275,361 intermodal units, down 13.3 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 619,880 carloads and intermodal units, down 9.5 percent. North American rail volume for the first seven weeks of 2015 was 4,800,591 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.4 percent compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 69,278 carloads for the week, down 1.2 percent, and 50,580 intermodal units, down 4.7 percent compared with the same week in 2014. For the first seven weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 938,674 carloads, containers and trailers, up 9.1 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 15,697 carloads for the week, down 0.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,164 intermodal units, down 1.9 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first seven weeks of 2015 was 186,060 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.8 percent from the same point last year.