U.S. rail traffic rose in Week 26, but data excluded holiday impact

U.S. railroad traffic for the week ending July 2 was up 4.4 percent to 529,191 carloads and intermodal units compared with traffic during the 26th week of 2015, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported this week.

Total carloads for the week were 264,015 units, up 4.9 percent; intermodal volume was 265,176 containers and trailers, up 4 percent compared with traffic numbers in 2015.

The association noted that the July 4th holiday was not included in this year's data for Week 26, but it is included in that week's data for 2015.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They included miscellaneous carloads, up 30.9 percent to 10,824 units; motor vehicles and parts, up 29 percent to 18,742 units; and grain, up 26.4 percent to 23,248 units.

Commodity groups that logged decreases for the week were petroleum and petroleum products, down 18.2 percent to 11,186 carloads; coal, down 4.8 percent to 79,354 carloads; and forest products, down 0.3 percent to 11,019 carloads.

Canadian railroads reported 68,940 carloads for the week, down 6.3 percent, and 57,454 intermodal units, down 3.8 percent. Mexican railroads posted 17,403 carloads for the week, up 12.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,099 intermodal units, up 6.1 percent.