Traffic continues downward trend

Freight traffic, at least at this point, isn’t showing signs of improvement. For the week ending March 19, 2016, carloads and intermodal units both took a big hit, dropping 17.2% and nearly 10.7%, respectively, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on March 23.

For the week, total U.S. rail traffic was 483,463 carloads and intermodal units, down 14% compared with the same week in 2015.

Total carloads for the week ending March 19 were 235,390 carloads, down 17.2% compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 248,073 containers and trailers, down 10.7% compared to 2015.

Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They were miscellaneous carloads, up 20.4% to 9,837 carloads; chemicals, up 4.9% to 31,343 carloads; and motor vehicles and parts, up 2.7% to 19,273 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included coal, down 38.7% to 64,754 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, down 26.8% to 10,644 carloads; and grain, down 10.6% to 21,494 carloads.

For the first 11 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,672,765 carloads, down 13.3% from the same point last year; and 2,847,908 intermodal units, up 3.9% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 11 weeks of 2016 was 5,520,673 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 5.2% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending March 19, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 324,512 carloads, down 14.2% compared with the same week last year, and 312,043 intermodal units, down 9.8% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 636,555 carloads and intermodal units, down 12.1%. North American rail volume for the first 11 weeks of 2016 was 7,235,289 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.8% compared with 2015.

Canadian railroads reported 72,655 carloads for the week, down 7.3%, and 53,982 intermodal units, down 7.4% compared with the same week in 2015. For the first 11 weeks of 2016, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,418,183 carloads, containers and trailers, down 4.3%.

Mexican railroads reported 16,467 carloads for the week, up 5.9% compared with the same week last year, and 9,988 intermodal units, up 1.3%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 11 weeks of 2016 was 296,433 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 1.1% from the same point last year.