AAR: U.S. traffic dips 2.5 percent in Week 37

U.S. railroads' total rail traffic volumes fell 2.5 percent to 566,734 carloads and intermodal units during the week of Sept. 19 compared with the same week in 2014, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Total U.S. carloads for the week declined 5.5 percent to 285,320, while intermodal volume rose 0.6 percent to 281,414 containers and trailers compared with 2014.

Commodity groups that posted increases included grain, up 19 percent to 22,977 carloads; miscellaneous carloads, up 7.7 percent to 9,061; and motor vehicles and parts, up 5.8 percent to 18,695. Commodity groups logging decreases for the week were: metallic ores and metals, down 22.9 percent to 22,044 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, down 13.1 percent to 14,090 carloads; and coal, down 9.1 percent to 103,244 carloads.

Also during the week, Canadian railroads reported 74,525 carloads, down 12.8 percent, and 59,545 intermodal units, down 2.1 percent compared with the same week in 2014. Mexican railroads logged 14,778 carloads for the week, down 7.7 percent, and 10,245 intermodal units, down 8.3 percent.

For the first 37 weeks of 2015 compared with the same period in 2014, U.S. railroads' cumulative traffic volume was down 1.1 percent to 20,158,960 carloads and intermodal units; Canadian railroads' volume was up 0.3 percent to 5,098,750 carloads, intermodal containers and trailers; and Mexican railroads’ volume was up 2.1 percent to 1,004,876 carloads, containers and trailers.