Rail traffic for the week wnding September 11, 2021

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending September 11, 2021.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 468,610 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.3 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending September 11 were 223,710 carloads, up 4.5 percent compared with the same week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 244,900 containers and trailers, down 6 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 9,749 carloads, to 69,927; metallic ores and metals, up 4,227 carloads, to 22,395; and nonmetallic minerals, up 3,731 carloads, to 30,476. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2020 included motor vehicles and parts, down 4,862 carloads, to 10,121; grain, down 4,830 carloads, to 16,718; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 558 carloads, to 9,797.

For the first 36 weeks of 2021, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,293,870 carloads, up 8.2 percent from the same point last year; and 9,994,693 intermodal units, up 11.5 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 36 weeks of 2021 was 18,288,563 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 10 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending September 11, 2021, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 316,174 carloads, up 2.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 321,752 intermodal units, down 7.3 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 637,926 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.7 percent. North American rail volume for the first 36 weeks of 2021 was 24,940,735 carloads and intermodal units, up 8.9 percent compared with 2020.

Canadian railroads reported 73,214 carloads for the week, down 5.8 percent, and 62,820 intermodal units, down 11.1 percent compared with the same week in 2020. For the first 36 weeks of 2021, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,327,242 carloads, containers and trailers, up 5.9 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 19,250 carloads for the week, up 13.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 14,032 intermodal units, down 11.2 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 36 weeks of 2021 was 1,324,930 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 6 percent from the same point last year.