The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending September 4, 2021.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 494,415 carloads and intermodal units, down 3 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending September 4 were 228,203 carloads, up 2.6 percent compared with the same week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 266,212 containers and trailers, down 7.3 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 5,824 carloads, to 66,950; metallic ores and metals, up 5,151 carloads, to 22,768; and nonmetallic minerals, up 2,680 carloads, to 32,281. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2020 were grain, down 6,211 carloads, to 16,711; motor vehicles and parts, down 3,866 carloads, to 12,421; and farm products excl. grain, and food, down 5 carloads, to 15,342.
For the first 35 weeks of 2021, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 8,070,160 carloads, up 8.3 percent from the same point last year; and 9,749,793 intermodal units, up 12.1 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 35 weeks of 2021 was 17,819,953 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 10.3 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending September 4, 2021, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 320,047 carloads, up 0.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 350,744 intermodal units, down 6.8 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 670,791 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.5 percent. North American rail volume for the first 35 weeks of 2021 was 24,302,809 carloads and intermodal units, up 9.2 percent compared with 2020.
Canadian railroads reported 73,855 carloads for the week, down 6.3 percent, and 71,171 intermodal units, down 3.1 percent compared with the same week in 2020. For the first 35 weeks of 2021, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,191,208 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 6.3 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 17,989 carloads for the week, up 2.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 13,361 intermodal units, down 13.2 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 35 weeks of 2021 was 1,291,648 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 6.1 percent from the same point last year.
To view the U.S. Rail Traffic charts, click here.
