The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending December 18, 2021.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 504,099 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.1 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending December 18 were 234,704 carloads, up 1.7 percent compared with the same week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 269,395 containers and trailers, down 6.9 percent compared to 2020.
Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2020. They included nonmetallic minerals, up 4,249 carloads, to 30,089; coal, up 2,762 carloads, to 65,021; and chemicals, up 929 carloads, to 34,212. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2020 were motor vehicles and parts, down 3,301 carloads, to 12,468; grain, down 1,708 carloads, to 24,159; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 1,302 carloads, to 10,398.
For the first 50 weeks of 2021, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 11,603,216 carloads, up 6.7 percent from the same point last year; and 13,733,756 intermodal units, up 5.3 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 50 weeks of 2021 was 25,336,972 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 5.9 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending December 18, 2021, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 331,416 carloads, down 1.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 349,986 intermodal units, down 7 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 681,402 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.3 percent. North American rail volume for the first 50 weeks of 2021 was 34,480,405 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.8 percent compared with 2020.
Canadian railroads reported 76,466 carloads for the week, down 9.7 percent, and 65,863 intermodal units, down 9.8 percent compared with the same week in 2020. For the first 50 weeks of 2021, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 7,323,349 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 1 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 20,246 carloads for the week, up 3.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 14,728 intermodal units, up 5 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 50 weeks of 2021 was 1,820,084 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 4.3 percent from the same point last year.
To view the weekly traffic charts, click here.
