AAR reports latest North American rail traffic

For this week, total US weekly rail traffic was 527 462 carloads and intermodal units – up 5.2% compared with the same week last year.

Total US carloads for the week were 232 146 carloads (down 3.1% compared with the same week in 2019) while US weekly intermodal volume was 295 316 containers and trailers (up 12.9% compared to 2019).

Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2019. They included grain (up 6783 carloads to 29 123); farm products excluding grain and food (up 1046 carloads to 16 384); and metallic ores and metals (up 587 carloads to 19 581). Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2019 included coal (down 12 148 carloads to 60 414); petroleum and petroleum products (down 3211 carloads to 10 744); and non-metallic minerals (down 1125 carloads to 29 067).

For the first 46 weeks of 2020, US railroads reported a cumulative volume of 9.94 million carloads (down 14.1% from the same point last year) and 11.79 million intermodal units (down 3.7% from last year). Total combined US traffic for the first 46 weeks of 2020 was 21.73 million carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 8.8% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending 14 November 2020, based on 12 reporting US, Canadian, and Mexican railroads totalled 331 165 carloads (down 3.5% compared with the same week last year) and 387 035 intermodal units (up 12.2 % compared with last year). Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 718 200 carloads and intermodal units (up 4.4%). North American rail volume for the first 46 weeks of 2020 was 29.90 million carloads and intermodal units (down 8.2% compared with 2019).

Canadian railroads reported 79 874 carloads for the week (down 3.9%) and 77 390 intermodal units (up 18.9% compared with the same week in 2019). For the first 46 weeks of 2020, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6.58 million carloads, containers, and trailers (down 5.7%).

Mexican railroads reported 19 145 carloads for the week (down 7% compared with the same week last year) and 14 329 intermodal units (down 21.4%). Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 46 weeks of 2020 was 1.59 million carloads and intermodal containers and trailers (down 10.3% from the same point last year).

Read the article online at: https://www.drybulkmagazine.com/dry-bulk/19112020/aar-reports-latest-north-american-rail-traffic/