Rail traffic for the week ending September 25, 2021

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending September 25, 2021.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 511,713 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.3 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending September 25 were 239,069 carloads, up 6.6 percent compared with the same week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 272,644 containers and trailers, down 7.3 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 11,681 carloads, to 70,002; metallic ores and metals, up 4,418 carloads, to 24,120; and nonmetallic minerals, up 4,103 carloads, to 34,083. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2020 included motor vehicles and parts, down 4,774 carloads, to 11,563; grain, down 3,128 carloads, to 21,864; and farm products excl. grain, and food, down 169 carloads, to 15,503.

For the first 38 weeks of 2021, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,767,729 carloads, up 8 percent from the same point last year; and 10,538,169 intermodal units, up 10.4 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 38 weeks of 2021 was 19,305,898 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 9.3 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending September 25, 2021, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 338,697 carloads, up 4.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 358,622 intermodal units, down 7.3 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 697,319 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.9 percent. North American rail volume for the first 38 weeks of 2021 was 26,329,161 carloads and intermodal units, up 8.2 percent compared with 2020.

Canadian railroads reported 79,652 carloads for the week, down 2.5 percent, and 71,153 intermodal units, down 6.7 percent compared with the same week in 2020. For the first 38 weeks of 2021, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,630,827 carloads, containers and trailers, up 5.3 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 19,976 carloads for the week, up 11.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 14,825 intermodal units, down 10.6 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 38 weeks of 2021 was 1,392,436 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 5.9 percent from the same point last year.