North American rail traffic pandemic recovery continues

U.S. rail traffic for the week ending June 19 climbed 12.5% to 514,112 carloads and intermodal units compared with the same week last year, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Total carloads for the week were 232,144 carloads, up 15.1%, while intermodal volume was 281,968 containers and trailers, up 10.4%.

For some rail traffic categories, percentage changes for the current week compared with the same week in 2020 are inflated because of the widespread pandemic-related shutdowns — and subsequent large reduction in rail volumes — that impacted many economic sectors last year at this time.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2020. They included coal, up 15,512 carloads, to 67,819; metallic ores and metals, up 9,302 carloads, to 23,726; and chemicals, up 3,990 carloads, to 32,401. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2020 were grain, down 1,820 carloads, to 19,617; miscellaneous carloads, down 478 carloads, to 9,290; and motor vehicles and parts, down 303 carloads, to 12,534.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads logged 76,464 carloads for the week, up 5.9%, and 72,001 intermodal units, up 11.7 %. Mexican railroads posted 21,299 carloads, down 5.2% compared with the same week last year, and 15,289 intermodal units, down 2.9%.

For the first 24 weeks of 2021 compared with the same period in 2020:
• U.S. railroads hauled 12,305,506 carloads and intermodal units, up 13.7%;
• Canadian railroads hauled 3,635,383 carloads, containers and trailers, up 9%; and
• Mexican railroads hauled 864,531 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 4.3%.