AAR: Intermodal traffic still strong in week No. 33

Intermodal traffic volume for U.S. railroads has increased 2.6 percent for the first 33 weeks of 2015, while carload traffic has dropped 4.3 percent compared with the same period last year, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

For the 33-week period, U.S. railroads posted cumulative volume of 9,172,144 carloads and 8,766,756 intermodal units. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 33 weeks of 2015 was 17,938,900 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 1 percent compared with last year, according to an AAR press release.

For the week ending Aug. 22, U.S. railroads logged 288,971 carloads, down 3.7 percent compared with the same week in 2014, but they recorded 278,972 intermodal containers and trailers, up 5 percent compared with 2014.

Canadian railroads reported 75,307 carloads for the week, a 4.7 percent decrease, and 63,884 intermodal units, a 4.3 percent increase compared with the same week in 2014. For the first 33 weeks of 2015, Canadian railroads posted cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,558,182 carloads, containers and trailers, up 1.2 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 16,398 carloads for the week, up 2.1 percent compared with a year ago, and 11,642 intermodal units, down 0.9 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 33 weeks of 2015 was 893,923 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.2 percent from the same point last year.