(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, March 25, 2015)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Mar. 21, 2015.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 562,472 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.9 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending Mar. 21, 2015 were 284,618 carloads, down 2.4 percent compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 277,854 containers and trailers, up 6.7 percent compared to 2014.
Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2014. They were: grain, up 21.9 percent to 24,087 carloads; motor vehicles and parts, up 3.1 percent to 18,765 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, up 1.4 percent to 34,230 carloads. Commodity groups that saw decreases during this one week included: metallic ores and metals, down 11 percent to 21,049 carloads; coal, down 6.7 percent to 105,987 carloads; and forest products, down 5.7 percent to 10,628 carloads.
For the first 11 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,082,147 carloads, up 0.9 percent from the same point last year; and 2,740,253 intermodal units, down 0.4 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 11 weeks of 2015 was 5,822,400 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.3 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending Mar. 21, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 378,342 carloads, down 1.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 344,995 intermodal units, up 6.4 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 723,337 carloads and intermodal units, up 2 percent. North American rail volume for the first 11 weeks of 2015 was 7,596,303 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.9 percent compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 78,145 carloads for the week, up 0.9 percent, and 58,405 intermodal units, up 7.2 percent compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 11 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,481,718 carloads, intermodal containers and trailers, up 8.6 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 15,579 carloads for the week, down 0.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 8,736 intermodal units, down 6 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 11 weeks of 2015 was 292,185 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.2 percent from the same point last year.