U.S. railroads post carload, intermodal gains in Week 9

U.S. railroads logged an 11.4% increase in traffic for the week ending March 6, including a 1.1% increase in carloads and a 21.5% percent gain in intermodal volume compared with the same week a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

The railroads reported a total 232,494 carloads and 282,641 containers and trailers for the week. Five of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR posted increases during the week, including coal, grain, farm products (excluding grain) and food. Commodity groups that posted decreases included chemicals, nonmetallic minerals and motor vehicles and parts.

Individual Class Is reported the following carload volume for the week compared with the same volume a year ago: BNSF Railway Co., 91,547 carloads, up from 88,143; Canadian Pacific, 35,978, up from 34,632; CN, 60,543 carloads, down from 64,796; CSX, 65,483, down from 68,415; Kansas City Southern, 15,373, up from 14,396; Norfolk Southern Railway, 58,918, up from 57,157; and Union Pacific Railroad, 82,137, down from 87,336.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported 81,996 carloads for the week, down 2.8%, and 76,123 intermodal units, up 19.1%. Mexican railroads reported 20,388 carloads for the week, down 5.7%, and 16,406 intermodal units, down 9.2%.

For the first nine weeks of 2021 compared with the same period in 2020:
• U.S. railroads logged 4,459,289 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.7%;
• Canadian railroads reported 1,343,654 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.3%; and
• Mexican railroads posted 332,393 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.7%.