CSX CSX Corporation

By Colin Kellaher

North American rail traffic dropped 3.6% in the week ended Jan. 25 as further declines in the U.S. more than offset rises in Canada and Mexico, Association of American Railroads data showed.

Carload volume for the week on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads fell 4.1%, while intermodal traffic fell 3.1%, the trade group said Wednesday.

North American rail traffic was down 8.8% in the week ended Jan. 18. For the first four weeks of the year, North American traffic is down 6.3%, the AAR reported.

U.S. rail traffic slid 7.1% last week, according to the AAR, as carloads fell 6.7% amid a 17.4% drop in coal, the largest of the 10 commodity groups tracked. The volume of intermodal containers and trailers fell 7.4%.

U.S. rail traffic is down 7.6% for the first four weeks of the year.

Canadian rail traffic rose 1.4% last week, rebounding from a 16% drop a week earlier, as a 3.6% rise in intermodal units more than offset a 0.4% decline in carloads. Canadian rail traffic is down 5% for the first four weeks of the year.

Mexican rail traffic jumped 30.5% for the week, on top of a 10.3% gain a week earlier, as intermodal units surged 52.6% and carloads rose 14.9%. Mexican rail traffic is up 7.3% for the first four weeks of the year.

Write to Colin Kellaher at colin.kellaher@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 29, 2020 13:45 ET (18:45 GMT)

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