The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending October 9, 2021.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 506,642 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.6 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending October 9 were 239,821 carloads, up 4 percent compared with the same week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 266,821 containers and trailers, down 7.8 percent compared to 2020.
Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2020. They included coal, up 5,736 carloads, to 67,680; metallic ores and metals, up 4,896 carloads, to 22,369; and nonmetallic minerals, up 2,606 carloads, to 33,087. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2020 included grain, down 3,483 carloads, to 24,037; motor vehicles and parts, down 3,047 carloads, to 13,058; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 837 carloads, to 9,395.
For the first 40 weeks of 2021, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 9,249,460 carloads, up 7.8 percent from the same point last year; and 11,078,929 intermodal units, up 9.4 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 40 weeks of 2021 was 20,328,389 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 8.7 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending October 9, 2021, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 335,353 carloads, up 1.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 355,991 intermodal units, down 7.8 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 691,344 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.6 percent. North American rail volume for the first 40 weeks of 2021 was 27,705,837 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.6 percent compared with 2020.
Canadian railroads reported 76,424 carloads for the week, down 4.2 percent, and 73,414 intermodal units, down 7.2 percent compared with the same week in 2020. For the first 40 weeks of 2021, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,932,524 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 4.7 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 19,108 carloads for the week, down 8.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 15,756 intermodal units, down 8.8 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 40 weeks of 2021 was 1,444,924 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 4.1 percent from the same point last year.
To view the weekly U.S. rail traffic charts, click here.
