U.S. railroads post traffic decrease in Week 49

U.S. railroads logged a combined volume of 513,366 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending Dec. 11, a 6% decrease compared with the same period last year, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

The U.S. freight-rail traffic trends for the week repeated this year’s trend of rising carload and falling intermodal volumes: Carloads totaled 239,029 units, up 0.3%, and intermodal volume totaled 274,337 containers and trailers, down 10.9%.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR posted an increase compared with the same week in 2020. They included nonmetallic minerals, up 2,982 carloads to 31,052; coal, up 2,979 carloads to 66,762; and chemicals, up 2,706 carloads to 35,297.

Commodity groups that posted decreases included motor vehicles and parts, down 3,660 carloads to 13,953; grain, down 3,508 carloads to 24,876; and miscellaneous carloads, down 516 carloads to 9,459.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported 71,880 carloads for the week, down 17%, and 64,609 intermodal units, down 14.3%. Mexican railroads logged 21,016 carloads, up 6.6%, and 15,653 intermodal units, up 9.9%.

For the first 49 weeks of 2021 compared with the same period of 2020:
• U.S. railroads posted 24,832,873 carloads and intermodal units, up 6.1%;
• Canadian railroads reported 7,181,020 carloads, containers and trailers, up 1.2%; and
• Mexican railroads reported 1,785,110 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 4.3%.