The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending December 25, 2021.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 420,373 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.7 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending December 25 were 201,222 carloads, up 8.7 percent compared with the same week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 219,151 containers and trailers, down 0.4 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 8,600 carloads, to 59,363; nonmetallic minerals, up 5,258 carloads, to 22,901; and chemicals, up 2,999 carloads, to 30,490. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2020 were grain, down 2,611 carloads, to 19,159; petroleum and petroleum products, down 1,591 carloads, to 8,705; and motor vehicles and parts, down 337 carloads, to 9,871.
For the first 51 weeks of 2021, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 11,804,438 carloads, up 6.7 percent from the same point last year; and 13,952,907 intermodal units, up 5.2 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 51 weeks of 2021 was 25,757,345 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 5.9 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending December 25, 2021, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 288,957 carloads, up 6.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 288,261 intermodal units, up 0 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 577,218 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first 51 weeks of 2021 was 35,057,623 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.7 percent compared with 2020.
Canadian railroads reported 70,498 carloads for the week, down 0.1 percent, and 57,568 intermodal units, up 1.1 percent compared with the same week in 2020. For the first 51 weeks of 2021, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 7,451,415 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 1 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 17,237 carloads for the week, up 12.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,542 intermodal units, up 3.3 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 51 weeks of 2021 was 1,848,863 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 4.4 percent from the same point last year.
To view the U.S. Traffic charts, click here.
