Rail Traffic for the Week Ending May 15, 2021

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 533,872 carloads and intermodal units, up 28.3 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending May 15 were 242,806 carloads, up 31.6 percent compared with the same week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 291,066 containers and trailers, up 25.6 percent compared to 2020.

All of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2020. They included coal, up 22,374 carloads, to 68,327; motor vehicles and parts, up 9,598 carloads, to 12,466; and metallic ores and metals, up 9,592 carloads, to 23,686. 

For the first 19 weeks of 2021, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 4,341,762 carloads, up 5.2 percent from the same point last year; and 5,371,854 intermodal units, up 18.5 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 19 weeks of 2021 was 9,713,616 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 12.1 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending May 15, 2021, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 341,527 carloads, up 29 percent compared with the same week last year, and 384,770 intermodal units, up 22.7 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 726,297 carloads and intermodal units, up 25.6 percent. North American rail volume for the first 19 weeks of 2021 was 13,290,858 carloads and intermodal units, up 10.9 percent compared with 2020.

Canadian railroads reported 78,290 carloads for the week, up 21.6 percent, and 77,499 intermodal units, up 15.9 percent compared with the same week in 2020. For the first 19 weeks of 2021, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,883,730 carloads, containers and trailers, up 8 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 20,431 carloads for the week, up 28.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 16,205 intermodal units, up 7.9 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 19 weeks of 2021 was 693,512 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 5.8 percent from the same point last year.