The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 6, 2021.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 515,135 carloads and intermodal units, up 11.4 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending March 6 were 232,494 carloads, up 1.1 percent compared with the same week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 282,641 containers and trailers, up 21.5 percent compared to 2020.
Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2020. They included coal, up 6,939 carloads, to 65,632; grain, up 5,657 carloads, to 26,451; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 371 carloads, to 16,794. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2020 included chemicals, down 3,833 carloads, to 29,591; nonmetallic minerals, down 2,559 carloads, to 27,833; and motor vehicles and parts, down 2,235 carloads, to 15,912.
For the first nine weeks of 2021, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 1,987,433 carloads, down 5.7 percent from the same point last year; and 2,471,856 intermodal units, up 8.6 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first nine weeks of 2021 was 4,459,289 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1.7 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending March 6, 2021, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 334,878 carloads, down 0.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 375,170 intermodal units, up 19.3 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 710,048 carloads and intermodal units, up 9.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first nine weeks of 2021 was 6,135,336 carloads and intermodal units, up 2 percent compared with 2020.
Canadian railroads reported 81,996 carloads for the week, down 2.8 percent, and 76,123 intermodal units, up 19.1 percent compared with the same week in 2020. For the first nine weeks of 2021, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,343,654 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 5.3 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 20,388 carloads for the week, down 5.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 16,406 intermodal units, down 9.2 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first nine weeks of 2021 was 332,393 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 5.7 percent from the same point last year.
To view the U.S. Rail Traffic charts, click here.
