Rail traffic no better in first week of December

For the week ending Dec. 5, 2015, total U.S. rail traffic was 542,050 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.6% compared with the same week in 2014, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on Dec. 9. U.S. carloads fell nearly 13%; Canadian carloads dropped nearly 10%; intermodal remains flat.

Total carloads for the week ending Dec. 5 were 271,774 carloads, down 12.9% compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 270,276 containers and trailers, up 0.8% compared to 2014.

Two of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2014. They were miscellaneous carloads, up 15.5% to 9,063 carloads; and motor vehicles and parts, up 1.8% to 19,025 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2014 included metallic ores and metals, down 24.6% to 21,318 carloads; coal, down 21.8% to 92,820 carloads; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 14.4% to 13,589 carloads.

For the first 48 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 13,318,535 carloads, down 5.3% from the same point last year; and 12,801,015 intermodal units, up 1.8% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 48 weeks of 2015 was 26,119,550 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 1.9% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending Dec. 5, 2015, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 364,089 carloads, down 11.6% compared with the same week last year, and 338,922 intermodal units, up 1.1% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 703,011 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.9%. North American rail volume for the first 48 weeks of 2015 was 34,021,915 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.6% compared with 2014.

Canadian railroads reported 75,925 carloads for the week, down 9.2%, and 58,508 intermodal units, up 4.6% compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 48 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,593,827 carloads, containers and trailers, down 1%.

Mexican railroads reported 16,390 carloads for the week, up 1.7% compared with the same week last year, and 10,138 intermodal units, down 9.4%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 48 weeks of 2015 was 1,308,538 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 1.5% from the same point last year.