Rail traffic for the week ending June 19, 2021

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending June 19, 2021.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 514,112 carloads and intermodal units, up 12.5 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending June 19 were 232,144 carloads, up 15.1 percent compared with the same week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 281,968 containers and trailers, up 10.4 percent compared to 2020.

For some rail traffic categories, percentage changes for the current week compared with the same week in 2020 are inflated because of the widespread shutdowns — and subsequent large reduction in rail volumes — that impacted many economic sectors last year at this time.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2020. They included coal, up 15,512 carloads, to 67,819; metallic ores and metals, up 9,302 carloads, to 23,726; and chemicals, up 3,990 carloads, to 32,401. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2020 were grain, down 1,820 carloads, to 19,617; miscellaneous carloads, down 478 carloads, to 9,290; and motor vehicles and parts, down 303 carloads, to 12,534.

For the first 24 weeks of 2021, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,528,562 carloads, up 8.6 percent from the same point last year; and 6,776,944 intermodal units, up 18.2 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 24 weeks of 2021 was 12,305,506 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 13.7 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending June 19, 2021, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 329,907 carloads, up 11.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 369,258 intermodal units, up 10 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 699,165 carloads and intermodal units, up 10.6 percent. North American rail volume for the first 24 weeks of 2021 was 16,805,420 carloads and intermodal units, up 12.1 percent compared with 2020.

Canadian railroads reported 76,464 carloads for the week, up 5.9 percent, and 72,001 intermodal units, up 11.7 percent compared with the same week in 2020. For the first 24 weeks of 2021, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,635,383 carloads, containers and trailers, up 9 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 21,299 carloads for the week, down 5.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 15,289 intermodal units, down 2.9 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 24 weeks of 2021 was 864,531 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 4.3 percent from the same point last year.