U.S. rail traffic down nearly 15 percent in Week 24

U.S. freight railroads hauled 449,291 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending June 13, a 14.9 percent decrease in traffic moved during the same week in 2019, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Total carloads for the week fell 22.8 percent to 198,437, while intermodal volume fell 7.3 percent to 250,854 units. Only one of the 10 carload commodity groups — miscellaneous carloads — posted an increase during the week, up 1,030 carloads to 10,259.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads logged 72,127 carloads, down 15.5 percent, and 64,378 intermodal units, down 8.6 percent. Mexican railroads reported 19,300 carloads, down 10.9 percent, and 14,112 intermodal units, down 23.8 percent.

Individual Class Is reported the following carload activity for the week compared with 2019: BNSF Railway Co., 74,705 carloads, down from 97,328; CN, 52,990 carloads, down from 66,770; Canadian Pacific, 29,922 carloads, down from 33,436; CSX, 53,306 carloads, down from 71,930; Kansas City Southern, 11,969 carloads, down from 14,427; Norfolk Southern Railway, 46,113 carloads, down from 67,957; and Union Pacific Railroad, 75,707 carloads, down from 92,406.

During the first 24 weeks of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019:
• U.S. railroads logged 10,782,849 carloads and intermodal units, down 13.2 percent;
• Canadian railroads reported 3,328,572 carloads, containers and trailers, down 7.8 percent; and
• Mexican railroads posted 804,302 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 10.1 percent.