U.S. rail carload volume climbs, intermodal falls in Week 27

Despite a dip in intermodal volume, total U.S. rail traffic rose slightly during the week ending July 10 compared with the same week last year, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

For the week, U.S. weekly rail traffic totaled 451,825 carloads and intermodal units, a 0.6% increase. Carloads for the week totaled 210,297 units, up 4.3%, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 241,528 containers and trailers, down 2.4%.

Four of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR posted an increase compared with the same week in 2020. They included metallic ores and metals, up 8,599 carloads, to 22,486; coal, up 6,575 carloads, to 58,469; and chemicals, up 923 carloads, to 31,220.

Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2020 included motor vehicles and parts, down 2,531 carloads to 10,316; grain, down 2,120 carloads to 17,136; and miscellaneous carloads, down 1,403 carloads to 7,255.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported 64,203 carloads for the week, down 6.2%, and 51,982 intermodal units, down 20.9%. Mexican railroads reported 20,596 carloads, up 10.1%, and 15,866 intermodal units, up 5.2%.

For the first 27 weeks of 2021 compared with the same period in 2020:
• U.S. railroads logged 13,786,417 carloads and intermodal units, up 13.3%;
• Canadian railroads reported 4,037,939 carloads, containers and trailers, up 8.1%; and
• Mexican railroads posted 984,372 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 5.9%.