U.S. railroads’ intermodal volume dipped slightly in Week 51

U.S. railroads hauled 420,373 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending Dec. 25, a 3.7% increase compared with the same week in 2020, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Total carloads for the week were 201,222 units, up 8.7%, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 219,151 containers and trailers, down 0.4%.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases during the week.  They included coal, up 8,600 carloads to 59,363; nonmetallic minerals, up 5,258 carloads to 22,901; and chemicals, up 2,999 carloads to 30,490.

The commodity groups that posted decreases were grain, down 2,611 carloads to 19,159; petroleum and petroleum products, down 1,591 carloads to 8,705; and motor vehicles and parts, down 337 carloads to 9,871.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads posted 70,498 carloads for the week, down 0.1%, and 57,568 intermodal units, up 1.1%. Mexican railroads logged 17,237 carloads, up 12.7%, and 11,542 intermodal units, up 3.3%.

For the first 51 weeks of 2021 compared with the same period in 2020:
• U.S. railroads reported 25,757,345 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.9%;
• Canadian railroads reported 7,451,415 carloads, containers and trailers, up 1%; and
• Mexican railroads reported 1,848,863 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 4.4%.