The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported that U.S. rail traffic for the week ending January 7, 2017, totaled 441,417 carloads and intermodal units, an 11.4 percent decrease compared to the same week in 2016.
U.S. carloads, which totaled 221,146 for the week, were down by 7.7 percent compared to the same week last year. U.S. intermodal volume for the week totaled 220,271units, a decrease of 14.9 percent compared to 2016.
Two of the 10 carload commodity groups that are tracked by the AAR posted an increase for the week ending January 7, 2017, when compared with the same week in 2016. Metallic ores and metals saw an increase of 5.4 percent, or 20,403 carloads, and grain was up 0.9 percent to 21,476 carloads.
Petroleum and petroleum products showed the largest decrease in the commodity groups, with a drop of 32.1 percent to 8,903 carloads. Farm product carloads, excluding grain and food, declined by 18.4 percent to 13,802 carloads, and forest products dropped 15.3 percent to 9,034 carloads.
For the first week of 2017, U.S. rail volume totaled 441,417 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 11.4 percent when compared to last year. Carloads, with a total of 221,146, were down by 7.7 percent, and intermodal, with a total of 220,271, dropped by 14.9 percent.
On the 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads, combined North American rail volume for the week ending January 7, 2017, was 581,937 carloads and intermodal units, down 10.6 percent.
For the first week of 2017, North American rail volume was down 10.6 percent, with a total of 581,937 carloads and intermodal units.