Weekly gain for U.S. rail freight volumes

Rail traffic in the United States for the week ending Feb. 18 totaled 531,123 carloads and intermodal units, up 6.8% from the same week in 2016.

 The Association of American Railroads reported 263,620 carloads, up 7.6%, while intermodal volume was 267,503 containers and trailers, up 6%.

 Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase year-on-year. They included coal, up 18.6% to 90,927 carloads; nonmetallic minerals, up 11.1% to 33,732 carloads, and miscellaneous carloads, up 10.6% to 9,292 carloads.

 Declines were seen in motor vehicles and parts, down 10.3% to 17,590 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, off 3.7% to 9,878 carloads, and forest products, down 3.2% to 10,113 carloads.

 For the first seven weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,783,857 carloads, up 5%, and 1,824,812 intermodal units, up 0.5% from the previous-year period. Total combined U.S. traffic was 3,608,669 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 2.7%.

 North American rail volume for the week ending Feb. 18 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican carriers totaled 358,727 carloads, up 8.7%, and 341,460 intermodal units, up 6.6%. Total combined weekly traffic was 700,187 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.6%. North American rail volume for the first seven weeks of 2017 was 4,755,175 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.2% compared with 2016.

 Canadian railroads reported 79,323 carloads for the week, up 15.4%, and 62,100 intermodal units, up 8.6%. For the first seven weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 970,835 carloads, containers and trailers, up 7.4%.

 Mexican railroads reported 15,784 carloads for the week, down 4.1%, and 11,857 intermodal units, up 9.5%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first seven weeks of this year was 175,671 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, off 7.3% from the year-ago period.