WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 8, 2017. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 513,022 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.1 percent compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending April 8 were 252,056 carloads, up 9.8 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 260,966 containers and trailers, up 4.6 percent compared to 2016. Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included coal, up 29 percent to 75,078 carloads; grain, up 26 percent to 23,778 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, up 7.6 percent to 37,582 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 15.7 percent to 10,020 carloads; metallic ores and metals, down 1.4 percent to 20,941 carloads; and forest products, down 1 percent to 9,929 carloads. For the first 14 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,576,158 carloads, up 6 percent from the same point last year; and 3,648,646 intermodal units, up 1.7 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 14 weeks of 2017 was 7,224,804 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.8 percent compared to last year. North American rail volume for the week ending April 8, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 345,891 carloads, up 9.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 334,403 intermodal units, up 5.3 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 680,294 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.5 percent. North American rail volume for the first 14 weeks of 2017 was 9,553,592 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.6 percent compared with 2016. Canadian railroads reported 77,948 carloads for the week, up 10.2 percent, and 62,669 intermodal units, up 10.2 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 14 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,959,582 carloads, containers and trailers, up 9 percent. Mexican railroads reported 15,887 carloads for the week, up 3.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,768 intermodal units, down 3.7 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 14 weeks of 2017 was 369,206 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 0.3 percent from the same point last year.