AAR: Only three commodity groups posted increases last week NEWSWIRE

WASHINGTON, D.C — The Association of American Railroads today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 20.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 526,141 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.4 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending April 20 were 262,011 carloads, down 0.9 percent compared with the same week in 2018, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 264,130 containers and trailers, down 3.9 percent compared to 2018.

Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2018. They were coal, up 3,738 carloads, to 84,216; petroleum and petroleum products, up 3,536 carloads, to 12,889; and miscellaneous carloads, up 313 carloads, to 9,654. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2018 included nonmetallic minerals, down 3,814 carloads, to 35,562; metallic ores and metals, down 2,174 carloads, to 21,849; and motor vehicles and parts, down 1,707 carloads, to 16,403.

For the first 16 weeks of 2019, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,969,837 carloads, down 2.7 percent from the same point last year; and 4,266,729 intermodal units, down 1 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 16 weeks of 2019 was 8,236,566 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 1.8 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending April 20, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 362,707 carloads, down 0.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 349,315 intermodal units, down 1.8 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 712,022 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.4 percent. North American rail volume for the first 16 weeks of 2019 was 11,172,868 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.2 percent compared with 2018.

Canadian railroads reported 83,068 carloads for the week, up 3.2 percent, and 70,789 intermodal units, up 10.7 percent compared with the same week in 2018. For the first 16 weeks of 2019, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,363,294 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2.3 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 17,628 carloads for the week, down 16.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 14,396 intermodal units, down 14.4 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 16 weeks of 2019 was 573,008 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 6 percent from the same point last year.

— An Association of American Railroads news release. April 24, 2019.