[301017.EN.BIZ] Association of American Railroads' Biggest Intermodal Week in US History

FOR penultimate week in October ending on the 21st, US rail traffic was up three per cent year on year to 559,989 carloads and intermodal units, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Total carloads for the week ending October 21 at 268,943, up 0.2 per cent year on year while US weekly intermodal volume was 291,046 containers and trailers, up 5.6 per cent compared - the most ever for any week in history.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included non-metallic minerals, up 3,839 carloads, to 41,227; metallic ores and metals, up 2,940 carloads, to 22,059; and chemicals, up 2,097 carloads, to 30,818.

Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included coal, down 3,814 carloads, to 86,311; grain, down 2,422 carloads, to 24,018; and motor vehicles and parts, down 1,582 carloads, to 16,920.

For the first 42 weeks of 2017, US railways reported cumulative volume of 10,909,100 carloads, up 3.6 per cent from the same point last year; and 11,293,191 intermodal units, up 3.7 per cent from last year.

Total combined US traffic for the first 42 weeks of 2017 was 22,202,291 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.7 per cent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending October 21 on 13 reporting US, Canadian and Mexican railways totalled 368,095 carloads, up 1.8 per cent compared with the same week last year, and 374,525 intermodal units, up 7.6 per cent compared with last year.

Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 742,620 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.6 per cent. North American rail volume for the first 42 weeks of 2017 was 29,450,729 carloads and intermodal units, up five per cent compared with 2016.

Canadian railways reported 82,913 carloads for the week, up 5.9 per cent, and 70,492 intermodal units, up 15.4 per cent compared with the same week in 2016.

For the first 42 weeks of 2017, Canadian railways reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,099,307 carloads, containers and trailers, up 11.2 per cent.

Mexican railways reported 16,239 carloads for the week, up 8.7 per cent compared with the same week last year, and 12,987 intermodal units, up 13.6 per cent.

Cumulative volume on Mexican railways for the first 42 weeks of 2017 was 1,149,131 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 0.9 per cent from the same point last year.

Source : HKSG.