Carloads up, intermodal volume down for U.S. railroads in year's 31st week

U.S. railroads registered mixed traffic results in the week ending Aug. 7. Their carloads climbed 6.3% to 234,336 units but intermodal volume dipped 0.6% to 275,271 containers and trailers compared with the same week in 2020, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

U.S. roads’ total weekly traffic rose 2.4% year over year to 509,607 units.

Six of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR posted gains in the year's 31st week, including metallic ores and metals (up 7,424 carloads), coal (up 7,301 carloads) and and nonmetallic minerals (up 3,131 carloads). Grain, motor vehicles and parts, and and petroleum and petroleum products traffic declined.

Canadian railroads reported 72,235 carloads for the week, up 2.1%, and 68,578 intermodal units, down 1%, while  Mexican railroads reported 19,407 carloads, down 11.6%, and 14,593 intermodal units, down 16.6%

Through 2021’s first 31 weeks, U.S. railroads moved 7,141,531 carloads, up 9%, and 8,673,507 intermodal units, up 14.6% year over year. North American rail volume through 31 weeks reached 21,562,185 carloads and intermodal units, up 10.7%.