AAR reports latest US and North American rail traffic

For this week, total US weekly rail traffic was 480 483 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.3% compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending 13 February amounted to 211 420 carloads (down 7% compared with the same week in 2020), while US weekly intermodal volume was 269 063 containers and trailers, (up 6.9% compared to 2020).

Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2020. They included grain (up 4548 carloads to 22 823); chemicals (up 785 carloads to 33 255); and forest products (up 727 carloads to 10 297). Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2020 included coal (down 8554 carloads to 54 496); non-metallic minerals (down 5450 carloads to 22 933); and motor vehicles and parts (down 3631 carloads to 13 972).

For the first six weeks of 2021, US railroads reported cumulative volume of 1.36 million carloads (down 2.9% from the same point last year); and 1.71 million intermodal units (up 10.3% from last year). Total combined US traffic for the first six weeks of 2021 was 3.07 million carloads and intermodal units (an increase of 4% compared to last year).

North American rail volume for the week ending 13 February 2021, on 12 reporting US, Canadian, and Mexican railroads totalled 301 184 carloads (down 7.4% compared with the same week last year), and 351 190 intermodal units (up 7.8% compared with last year). Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 652 374 carloads and intermodal units (up 0.2%). North American rail volume for the first six weeks of 2021 was 4.18 million carloads and intermodal units (up 3.3% compared with 2020).

Canadian railroads reported 69 222 carloads for the week (down 8.4%) and 64 581 intermodal units (up 18.3% compared with the same week in 2020). For the first six weeks of 2021, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 902 756 carloads, containers, and trailers (up 5.4%).

Mexican railroads reported 20 542 carloads for the week (down 7.8% compared with the same week last year), and 17 546 intermodal units (down 9.7%). Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first six weeks of 2021 was 198 911 carloads, intermodal containers, and trailers (down 14.1% from the same point last year).

Read the article online at: https://www.drybulkmagazine.com/dry-bulk/18022021/aar-reports-latest-us-and-north-american-rail-traffic/