AAR: U.S. traffic down again in Week No. 16

U.S. freight railroads' traffic volume continued its downward trend for the week ending April 25, with railroads logging a total 557,306 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 1.6 percent compared with the same week in 2014, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data reported yesterday.

Total carloads for the week were 278,294 carloads, down 7.9 percent compared with the same week in 2014, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 279,012 containers and trailers, up 5.6 percent.

U.S. intermodal volume topped carloads for the second consecutive week.

Only one of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase for the week: motor vehicles and parts, up 1 percent to 18,894 carloads.

Canadian railroads' carload totals also slipped, down 6.3 percent to 81,611 carloads for the week compared with a year ago. Intermodal traffic increased 3.9 percent to 62,456 units. Meanwhile, Mexican railroads reported 16,501 carloads for the week, up 15.5 percent, and 10,390 intermodal units, up 2.8 percent.

For the first 16 weeks of 2015, U.S. railroads' total combined traffic remained flat at 8,606,251 carloads and intermodal units compared with the same period a year ago.

Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,197,775 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 6.5 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 16 weeks of 2015 was 423,381 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.5 percent.