U.S. railroads kick off 2021 with volume increase

U.S. freight railroads posted a 4.7% increase in traffic hauled during the first week in January compared with traffic recorded for the comparable period in 2020, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Railroads hauled 235,4040 carloads, down 1.6%, and 289,849 containers and trailers, up 10.4%, for the week ending Jan. 9.

Four of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR follows every week posted an increase. They included grain, up 9,386 carloads to 27,650; metallic ores and metals, up 2,524 to 23,600; and chemicals, up 2,458 to 36,195.

Commodity groups that posted a decrease included coal, down 10,088 carloads, to 60,780; nonmetallic minerals, down 4,640 to 25,395; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 3,144 to 11,167.

Also during the week, Canadian railroads hauled 77,465 carloads, down 3.3%, and 73,933 intermodal units, up 6.6%. Mexican railroads moved 17,651 carloads, down 10.7%, and 15,074 intermodal units, down 15.6%.