U.S. railroads' intermodal volume exceeds carload traffic in week 18

Total U.S. railroad traffic fell 2.3 percent to 551,034 carloads and intermodal units during the week ended May 9 compared with the same week a year ago, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported yesterday.

Total U.S. carloads for week No. 18 were 273,433, down 7.9 percent compared with the same week in 2014. However, U.S. intermodal traffic was a bright spot for the week: Volume was 277,601 containers and trailers, a 3.8 percent increase compared with volume during the week a year ago.

Four of 10 carload commodity groups posted increases: motor vehicles and parts, up 8.9 percent to 18,997 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, up 6.1 percent to 15,464 carloads; and miscellaneous carloads, up 3.6 percent to 9,220 carloads.

Canadian railroads logged 79,478 carloads for the week, down 8.2 percent, and 62,748 intermodal units, up 2.7 percent compared with the same week in 2014. Mexican railroads posted 16,020 carloads for the week, up 3.3 percent, and 10,496 intermodal units, down 9.8 percent.

For the first 18 weeks of 2015, U.S. traffic totaled 9,723,072 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.1 percent.

Canadian railroads' cumulative rail traffic during the period reached 2,483,723 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 5.4 percent; and Mexican railroads' cumulative rail traffic totaled 474,815 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.8 percent year over year.