The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending November 6, 2021.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 504,111 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.5 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending November 6 were 235,585 carloads, up 3.1 percent compared with the same week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 268,526 containers and trailers, down 8.6 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 7,624 carloads, to 66,745; metallic ores and metals, up 3,486 carloads, to 21,039; and chemicals, up 1,178 carloads, to 33,780. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2020 included motor vehicles and parts, down 3,204 carloads, to 11,946; grain, down 2,039 carloads, to 25,386; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 413 carloads, to 10,010.
For the first 44 weeks of 2021, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 10,192,237 carloads, up 7.4 percent from the same point last year; and 12,158,149 intermodal units, up 7.6 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 44 weeks of 2021 was 22,350,386 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 7.5 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending November 6, 2021, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 334,304 carloads, up 2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 356,154 intermodal units, down 7.8 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 690,458 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.3 percent. North American rail volume for the first 44 weeks of 2021 was 30,478,642 carloads and intermodal units, up 6.5 percent compared with 2020.
Canadian railroads reported 79,368 carloads for the week, up 0.8 percent, and 73,447 intermodal units, down 5.6 percent compared with the same week in 2020. For the first 44 weeks of 2021, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,530,220 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 3.7 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 19,351 carloads for the week, down 6.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 14,181 intermodal units, down 2.4 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 44 weeks of 2021 was 1,598,036 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 4 percent from the same point last year.
To view the U.S. Traffic charts, click here.
