WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 25, 2018 – The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 21, 2018.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 539,425 carloads and intermodal units, up 6.2 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending April 21 were 264,552 carloads, up 3.5 percent compared with the same week in 2017, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 274,873 containers and trailers, up 8.9 percent compared to 2017.
Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2017. They included coal, up 3,922 carloads, to 80,608; nonmetallic minerals, up 3,328 carloads, to 39,387; and grain, up 2,424 carloads, to 25,938. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 were metallic ores and metals, down 1,207 carloads, to 23,972; petroleum and petroleum products, down 995 carloads, to 9,356; and farm products excl. grain, and food, down 511 carloads, to 15,542.
For the first 16 weeks of 2018, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 4,080,772 carloads, up 0.4 percent from the same point last year; and 4,310,336 intermodal units, up 5.6 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 16 weeks of 2018 was 8,391,108 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending April 21, 2018, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 366,248 carloads, up 2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 355,613 intermodal units, up 5.6 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 721,861 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.8 percent. North American rail volume for the first 16 weeks of 2018 was 11,310,634 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.7 percent compared with 2017.
Canadian railroads reported 80,327 carloads for the week, down 2.2 percent, and 64,061 intermodal units, down 2.7 percent compared with the same week in 2017. For the first 16 weeks of 2018, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,312,464 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2.7 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 21,369 carloads for the week and 16,679 intermodal units. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 16 weeks of 2018 was 607,062 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers.
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