WASHINGTON, D.C. - For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 538,739 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.8 percent compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending November 4 were 266,652 carloads, down 1.7 percent compared with the same week in 2016, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 272,087 containers and trailers, up 0.01 percent compared to 2016. Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included metallic ores and metals, up 4,176 carloads, to 22,716; nonmetallic minerals, up 2,411 carloads, to 38,980; and chemicals, up 1,797 carloads, to 31,552. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included coal, down 6,003 carloads, to 86,843; grain, down 5,376 carloads, to 23,281; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 1,216 carloads, to 9,665. For the first 44 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 11,439,089 carloads, up 3.3 percent from the same point last year; and 11,848,796 intermodal units, up 3.6 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 44 weeks of 2017 was 23,287,885 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.5 percent compared to last year. North American rail volume for the week ending November 4, 2017, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 363,969 carloads, down 1.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 354,947 intermodal units, up 3.7 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 718,916 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first 44 weeks of 2017 was 30,900,543 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.9 percent compared with 2016. Canadian railroads reported 81,942 carloads for the week, up 0.9 percent, and 71,119 intermodal units, up 23.1 percent compared with the same week in 2016. For the first 44 weeks of 2017, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,405,460 carloads, containers and trailers, up 11.1 percent. Mexican railroads reported 15,375 carloads for the week, down 2.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,741 intermodal units, down 4.9 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 44 weeks of 2017 was 1,207,198 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 1 percent from the same point last year.