The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending October 23, 2021.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 510,762 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.3 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending October 23 were 239,195 carloads, up 5.1 percent compared with the same week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 271,567 containers and trailers, down 8 percent compared to 2020.
Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2020. They included coal, up 8,175 carloads, to 65,712; metallic ores and metals, up 2,537 carloads, to 23,192; and miscellaneous carloads, up 1,537 carloads, to 11,036. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2020 were motor vehicles and parts, down 2,057 carloads, to 13,403; petroleum and petroleum products, down 623 carloads, to 9,544; and grain, down 138 carloads, to 25,857.
For the first 42 weeks of 2021, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 9,718,385 carloads, up 7.5 percent from the same point last year; and 11,617,749 intermodal units, up 8.5 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 42 weeks of 2021 was 21,336,134 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 8 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending October 23, 2021, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 337,884 carloads, up 2.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 358,101 intermodal units, down 8.3 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 695,985 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.4 percent. North American rail volume for the first 42 weeks of 2021 was 29,080,721 carloads and intermodal units, up 6.9 percent compared with 2020.
Canadian railroads reported 78,908 carloads for the week, down 2 percent, and 70,889 intermodal units, down 11.1 percent compared with the same week in 2020. For the first 42 weeks of 2021, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,228,236 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 4.1 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 19,781 carloads for the week, down 10.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 15,645 intermodal units, down 1.3 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 42 weeks of 2021 was 1,516,351 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.6 percent from the same point last year.
