U.S. rail traffic down again last week

Strong intermodal traffic continues, while grain shipments are robust.

David C. Lester

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 17, 2019.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 537,617 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.2 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending August 17 were 264,564 carloads, down 4.9 percent compared with the same week in 2018, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 273,053 containers and trailers, down 5.4 percent compared to 2018.

Two of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2018. They were petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,115 carloads, to 12,004; and chemicals, up 696 carloads, to 33,233. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2018 included coal, down 7,607 carloads, to 85,454; grain, down 3,458 carloads, to 19,840; and nonmetallic minerals, down 1,349 carloads, to 37,905.

For the first 33 weeks of 2019, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,342,076 carloads, down 3.3 percent from the same point last year; and 8,783,643 intermodal units, down 3.8 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 33 weeks of 2019 was 17,125,719 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 3.5 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending August 17, 2019, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 366,217 carloads, down 4.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 368,054 intermodal units, down 3.5 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 734,271 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.8 percent. North American rail volume for the first 33 weeks of 2019 was 23,355,498 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.4 percent compared with 2018.

Canadian railroads reported 81,162 carloads for the week, down 1.4 percent, and 76,265 intermodal units, up 3.8 percent compared with the same week in 2018. For the first 33 weeks of 2019, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,994,334 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 20,491 carloads for the week, down 2.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 18,736 intermodal units, down 2 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 33 weeks of 2019 was 1,235,445 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 3.3 percent from the same point last year.

An Association of American Railroads news release.  For more information, go to aar.org.

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