The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending December 21, 2019 was 507,589 carloads and intermodal units, down 10.5% compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending December 21 were 245,048 carloads, down 11.5% compared with the same week in 2018, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 262,541 containers and trailers, down 9.5% 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 711 carloads, to 14,119; and miscellaneous carloads, up 413 carloads, to 9,886. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2018 included coal, down 21,782 carloads, to 72,032; chemicals, down 2,739 carloads, to 32,380; and nonmetallic minerals, down 2,666 carloads, to 30,144.

For the first 51 weeks of 2019, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 12,780,814 carloads, down 4.8% from the same point last year; and 13,550,432 intermodal units, down 5.1% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 51 weeks of 2019 was 26,331,246 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 4.9% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending December 21, 2019, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 350,256 carloads, down 9.2% compared with the same week last year, and 348,566 intermodal units, down 8.2% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 698,822 carloads and intermodal units, down 8.7%. North American rail volume for the first 51 weeks of 2019 was 35,963,299 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.9% compared with 2018.
Canadian railroads reported 85,789 carloads for the week, down 2.6%, and 67,940 intermodal units, down 5.2% compared with the same week in 2018. For the first 51 weeks of 2019, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 7,706,077 carloads, containers and trailers, down 0.4%.

Mexican railroads reported 19,419 carloads for the week, down 7.2% compared with the same week last year, and 18,085 intermodal units, up 1.7%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 51 weeks of 2019 was 1,925,976 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.9% from the same point last year.