The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 13, 2021.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 520,736 carloads and intermodal units, up 12.5 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending March 13 were 230,684 carloads, up 2.1 percent compared with the same week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 290,052 containers and trailers, up 22.4 percent compared to 2020.
Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2020. They included coal, up 8,744 carloads, to 64,102; grain, up 3,958 carloads, to 23,939; and farm products excluding grain, and food, up 910 carloads, to 16,766. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2020 included motor vehicles and parts, down 4,258 carloads, to 14,829; chemicals, down 3,034 carloads, to 29,971; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 1,900 carloads, to 11,379.
For the first 10 weeks of 2021, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 2,218,117 carloads, down 4.9 percent from the same point last year; and 2,761,908 intermodal units, up 9.9 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 10 weeks of 2021 was 4,980,025 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 2.7 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending March 13, 2021, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 333,556 carloads, down 0.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 381,119 intermodal units, up 21.5 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 714,675 carloads and intermodal units, up 10.3 percent. North American rail volume for the first 10 weeks of 2021 was 6,850,011 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.8 percent compared with 2020.
Canadian railroads reported 82,428 carloads for the week, down 2.6 percent, and 74,677 intermodal units, up 22.9 percent compared with the same week in 2020. For the first 10 weeks of 2021, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,500,759 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 5.6 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 20,444 carloads for the week, down 13.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 16,390 intermodal units, up 2.7 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 10 weeks of 2021 was 369,227 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 5.8 percent from the same point last year.
To view the U.S. Rail Traffic charts, click here.
