WASHINGTON, D.C. - For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 519,545 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.6 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending February 10 were 251,058 carloads, down 0.5 percentcompared with the same week in 2017, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 268,487containers and trailers, up 3.7 percent compared to 2017.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2017. They included nonmetallic minerals, up 2,046 carloads, to 31,551; chemicals, up 1,224 carloads, to 31,782; and metallic ores and metals, up 1,010 carloads, to 20,396. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 were coal, down 3,729 carloads, to 85,591; motor vehicles and parts, down 1,980 carloads, to 16,693; and grain, down 1,442 carloads, to 19,035.

For the first six weeks of 2018, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,468,463 carloads, down 2.9 percent from the same point last year; and 1,578,628 intermodal units, up 3.5 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first six weeks of 2018 was3,047,091 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 0.3 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending February 10, 2018, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 344,660 carloads, down 1.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 348,177 intermodal units, up 2.8 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 692,837 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.6 percent. North American rail volume for the first six weeks of 2018was 4,101,555 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.3 percent compared with 2017.

Canadian railroads reported 73,983 carloads for the week, down 3.1 percent, and 63,526 intermodal units, up 2.5 percent compared with the same week in 2017. For the first six weeks of 2018, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 832,704 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.6 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 19,619 carloads for the week, down 8.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 16,164 intermodal units, down 8.9 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first six weeks of 2018 was 221,760 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 0.8 percent from the same point last year.