The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending September 18, 2021.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 505,622 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.1 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending September 18 were 234,790 carloads, up 3.5 percent compared with the same week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 270,832 containers and trailers, down 8.3 percent compared to 2020.
Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2020. They included coal, up 7,232 carloads, to 68,820; metallic ores and metals, up 5,203 carloads, to 24,798; and nonmetallic minerals, up 2,054 carloads, to 32,676. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2020 were motor vehicles and parts, down 5,896 carloads, to 11,709; grain, down 2,609 carloads, to 19,432; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 388 carloads, to 10,494.
For the first 37 weeks of 2021, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 8,528,660 carloads, up 8 percent from the same point last year; and 10,265,525 intermodal units, up 10.9 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 37 weeks of 2021 was 18,794,185 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 9.6 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending September 18, 2021, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 331,319 carloads, up 1.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 359,788 intermodal units, down 6.2 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 691,107 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.8 percent. North American rail volume for the first 37 weeks of 2021 was 25,631,842 carloads and intermodal units, up 8.5 percent compared with 2020.
Canadian railroads reported 77,935 carloads for the week, down 6.8 percent, and 74,845 intermodal units, up 0.8 percent compared with the same week in 2020. For the first 37 weeks of 2021, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,480,022 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 5.6 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 18,594 carloads for the week, up 10.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 14,111 intermodal units, up 0.3 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 37 weeks of 2021 was 1,357,635 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 6 percent from the same point last year.
To view the weekly rail traffic charts, click here.
