U.S. rail traffic slump continued in week 14

U.S. weekly railroad traffic fell 14 percent for the week ending April 9, as both carload and intermodal activity posted decreases, according to data released yesterday by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Total carloads fell 20 percent to 229,704, while intermodal volume slumped 7.8 percent to 249,355 containers and trailers compared with the same week in 2015.

Commodity groups logging decreases were led by coal, which plummeted 44.9 percent to 58,166 carloads. Other commodities with less activity were petroleum and petroleum products, down 22.3 percent to 11,910 carloads; and grain, down 20.5 percent to 18,871 carloads.

Canadian railroads reported 70,683 carloads for the week, down 13.1 percent, and 56,907 intermodal units, down 8.1 percent compared with the same week in 2015.

Mexican railroads posted 15,274 carloads for the week, down 8.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,152 intermodal units, up 7.2 percent.

For the first 14 weeks of 2016, cumulative volume on U.S. railroads was 6,961,982 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.1 percent compared with volume during the same period in 2015. Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,796,591 carloads, containers and trailers, down 6 percent. Mexican railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume during the 14-week period of 369,122 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 0.4 percent from the same point last year.