(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, April 29, 2015)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 25, 2015.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 557,306 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.6 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending April 25, 2015 were 278,294 carloads, down 7.9 percent compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 279,012 containers and trailers, up 5.6 percent compared to 2014.
One of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2014. It was: motor vehicles and parts, up 1 percent to 18,894 carloads. Commodity groups that saw decreases during this one week included: coal, down 13.3 percent to 98,405 carloads; grain, down 8.6 percent to 19,909 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, down 7.7 percent to 23,473 carloads.
For the first 16 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 4,487,035 carloads, down 1.2 percent from the same point last year; and 4,119,216 intermodal units, up 1.3 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 16 weeks of 2015 was 8,606,251 carloads and intermodal units, which remains flat compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending April 25, 2015 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 376,406 carloads, down 6.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 351,858 intermodal units, up 5.2 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 728,264 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.3 percent. North American rail volume for the first 16 weeks of 2015 was 11,227,407 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.3 percent compared with 2014.
Canadian railroads reported 81,611 carloads for the week, down 6.3 percent, and 62,456 intermodal units, up 3.9 percent compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 16 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,197,775 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 6.5 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 16,501 carloads for the week, up 15.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,390 intermodal units, up 2.8 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 16 weeks of 2015 was 423,381 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.5 percent from the same point last year.