Rail traffic for the week ending July 24, 2021

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending July 24, 2021.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 503,219 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.6 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending July 24 were 230,095 carloads, up 7.1 percent compared with the same week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 273,124 containers and trailers, up 2.6 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 8,411 carloads, to 65,945; metallic ores and metals, up 7,662 carloads, to 23,124; and nonmetallic minerals, up 2,162 carloads, to 33,115. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2020 were motor vehicles and parts, down 4,390 carloads, to 10,765; farm products excl. grain, and food, down 1,722 carloads, to 14,679; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 309 carloads, to 10,530.

For the first 29 weeks of 2021, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 6,678,220 carloads, up 9.2 percent from the same point last year; and 8,124,671 intermodal units, up 15.8 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 29 weeks of 2021 was 14,802,891 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 12.7 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending July 24, 2021, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 327,085 carloads, up 6.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 360,431 intermodal units, up 2.7 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 687,516 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.6 percent. North American rail volume for the first 29 weeks of 2021 was 20,180,555 carloads and intermodal units, up 11.2 percent compared with 2020.

Canadian railroads reported 75,240 carloads for the week, up 3.3 percent, and 71,170 intermodal units, up 0.8 percent compared with the same week in 2020. For the first 29 weeks of 2021, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,318,114 carloads, containers and trailers, up 7.4 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 21,750 carloads for the week, up 15.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 16,137 intermodal units, up 14.4 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 29 weeks of 2021 was 1,059,550 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 6.4 percent from the same point last year.