U.S. rail traffic was down 5.9% for the week ending November 9

Total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 515,269 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending November 9, down 5.9 per cent compared with the same week last year.

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported total carloads for the week were 248,905 carloads, down 5.1 per cent compared with the same week in 2018, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 266,364 containers and trailers, down 6.7 per cent compared to 2018.

One of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2018. It was grain, up 342 carloads, to 21,855. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2018 included coal, down 9,577 carloads, to 75,180; miscellaneous carloads, down 843 carloads, to 10,944; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 741 carloads, to 12,617.

For the first 45 weeks of 2019, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 11,337,628 carloads, down 4.3 per cent from the same point last year; and 11,988,234 intermodal units, down 4.6 per cent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 45 weeks of 2019 was 23,325,862 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 4.4 per cent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending November 9, 2019, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totalled 352,176 carloads, down 4.8 per cent compared with the same week last year, and 352,712 intermodal units, down 6.5 per cent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 704,888 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.6 per cent. North American rail volume for the first 45 weeks of 2019 was 31,852,518 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.4 per cent compared with 2018.

Canadian railroads reported 83,174 carloads for the week, down 5.5 per cent, and 68,361 intermodal units, down 5.9 per cent compared with the same week in 2018. For the first 45 weeks of 2019, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,824,664 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.4 per cent.

Mexican railroads reported 20,097 carloads for the week, up 2.8 per cent compared with the same week last year, and 17,987 intermodal units, down 5.5 per cent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 45 weeks of 2019 was 1,701,992 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.7 per cent from the same point last year.

For more information visit www.aar.org

18th November 2019