The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending February 20, 2021.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 377,904 carloads and intermodal units, down 21.7 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending February 20 were 171,642 carloads, down 26.3 percent compared with the same week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 206,262 containers and trailers, down 17.4 percent compared to 2020.
None of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2020. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2020 included coal, down 14,856 carloads, to 48,745; nonmetallic minerals, down 13,765 carloads, to 16,088; and chemicals, down 9,400 carloads, to 23,864.
For the first seven weeks of 2021, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 1,539,758 carloads, down 6.3 percent from the same point last year; and 1,917,967 intermodal units, up 6.5 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first seven weeks of 2021 was 3,457,725 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 0.4 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending February 20, 2021, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 257,127 carloads, down 22.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 286,467 intermodal units, down 11.9 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 543,594 carloads and intermodal units, down 17.1 percent. North American rail volume for the first seven weeks of 2021 was 4,725,082 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.4 percent compared with 2020.
Canadian railroads reported 67,877 carloads for the week, down 11.1 percent, and 63,968 intermodal units, up 13.8 percent compared with the same week in 2020. For the first seven weeks of 2021, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,034,601 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 4.6 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 17,608 carloads for the week, down 16.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 16,237 intermodal units, down 14.8 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first seven weeks of 2021 was 232,756 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 14.3 percent from the same point last year.
Click here for the weekly rail traffic charts.
