Weekly Rail Traffic for the Week Ending April 18, 2020

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 403,283 carloads and intermodal units, down 23.3 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending April 18 were 189,598 carloads, down 27.5 percent compared with the same week in 2019, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 213,685 containers and trailers, down 19.1 percent compared to 2019.

None of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2019.  Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2019 included coal, down 35,555 carloads, to 48,423; motor vehicles and parts, down 14,459 carloads, to 1,943; and nonmetallic minerals, down 5,188 carloads, to 30,377.

“Rail volumes suffered again last week as extremely difficult times for rail customers and the economy continued,” said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray. “Like everyone else, railroads are looking forward to a return to normalcy and an end to the significant challenges associated with the pandemic. Until that happens, railroads will work hard to keep their employees and the communities they serve safe, will continue to deliver the goods needed to sustain and heal the nation and, when appropriate, support its economic restoration.”

For the first 16 weeks of 2020, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,592,286 carloads, down 9.5 percent from the same point last year; and 3,823,931 intermodal units, down 10.4 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 16 weeks of 2020 was 7,416,217 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 10 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending April 18, 2020, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 277,795 carloads, down 23.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 291,778 intermodal units, down 16.5 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 569,573 carloads and intermodal units, down 20 percent. North American rail volume for the first 16 weeks of 2020 was 10,236,377 carloads and intermodal units, down 8.4 percent compared with 2019.

Canadian railroads reported 72,049 carloads for the week, down 13.5 percent, and 65,088 intermodal units, down 7.9 percent compared with the same week in 2019. For the first 16 weeks of 2020, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,253,268 carloads, containers and trailers, down 4.7 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 16,148 carloads for the week, down 10.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 13,005 intermodal units, down 10.2 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 16 weeks of 2020 was 566,892 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.2 percent from the same point last year.