WASHINGTON, D.C. - For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 556,887 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.8 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending August 11 were 271,718 carloads, up 1.8 percent compared with the same week in 2017, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 285,169 containers and trailers, up 3.8 percent compared to 2017.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2017. They included petroleum and petroleum products, up 3,212 carloads, to 11,897; grain, up 2,690 carloads, to 21,770; and metallic ores and metals, up 1,367 carloads, to 23,817. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 were coal, down 3,937 carloads, to 90,645; nonmetallic minerals, down 1,084 carloads, to 38,287; and miscellaneous carloads, down 227 carloads, to 9,403.

For the first 32 weeks of 2018, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,347,332 carloads, up 1.6 percent from the same point last year; and 8,837,956 intermodal units, up 6 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 32 weeks of 2018 was 17,185,288 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.9 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending August 11, 2018, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 371,541 carloads, up 2.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 373,491 intermodal units, up 2.1 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 745,032 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first 32 weeks of 2018 was 23,157,240 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.5 percent compared with 2017.

Canadian railroads reported 79,925 carloads for the week, up 7.1 percent, and 69,123 intermodal units, down 2.4 percent compared with the same week in 2017. For the first 32 weeks of 2018, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,742,225 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3.9 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 19,898 carloads for the week, down 9.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 19,199 intermodal units, down 4.1 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 32 weeks of 2018 was 1,229,727 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers.