The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending February 13, 2021.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 480,483 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.3 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending February 13 were 211,420 carloads, down 7 percent compared with the same week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 269,063 containers and trailers, up 6.9 percent compared to 2020.
Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2020. They included grain, up 4,548 carloads, to 22,823; chemicals, up 785 carloads, to 33,255; and forest products, up 727 carloads, to 10,297. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2020 included coal, down 8,554 carloads, to 54,496; nonmetallic minerals, down 5,450 carloads, to 22,933; and motor vehicles and parts, down 3,631 carloads, to 13,972.
For the first six weeks of 2021, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 1,368,116 carloads, down 2.9 percent from the same point last year; and 1,711,705 intermodal units, up 10.3 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first six weeks of 2021 was 3,079,821 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending February 13, 2021, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 301,184 carloads, down 7.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 351,190 intermodal units, up 7.8 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 652,374 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first six weeks of 2021 was 4,181,488 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.3 percent compared with 2020.
Canadian railroads reported 69,222 carloads for the week, down 8.4 percent, and 64,581 intermodal units, up 18.3 percent compared with the same week in 2020. For the first six weeks of 2021, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 902,756 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 5.4 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 20,542 carloads for the week, down 7.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 17,546 intermodal units, down 9.7 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first six weeks of 2021 was 198,911 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 14.1 percent from the same point last year.
