THE Association of American Railroads (R) announced that US rail traffic for the week ending April 17 totalled 533,217 carloads and intermodal units, up 32
THE Association of American Railroads (R) announced that US rail traffic for the week ending April 17 totalled 533,217 carloads and intermodal units, up 32.2 per cent compared with the same week last year, reports AJOT. Total carloads for the week were 237,607 carloads, up 25.2 per cent compared with the same week in 2020, while US weekly intermodal volume was 295,610 containers and trailers, up 38.3 per cent 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.
Nine of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2020. They included coal, up 13,166 carloads, to 61,600; motor vehicles and parts, up 10,606 carloads, to 12,549; and metallic ores and metals, up 7,533 carloads, to 24,803. One commodity group posted a decrease compared with the same week in 2020: petroleum and petroleum products, down 120 carloads, to 10,829.
For the first 15 weeks of 2021, US railroads reported cumulative volume of 3.38 million carloads, up 0.2 per cent from the same point last year; and 4.20 million intermodal units, up 15.7 per cent from last year. Total combined US traffic for the first 15 weeks of 2021 was 7.68 million carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 8.2 per cent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week on 12 reporting US, Canadian and Mexican railroads totalled 341,017 carloads, up 23.2 per cent compared with the same week last year, and 384,527 intermodal units, up 32.5 per cent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 725,544 carloads and intermodal units, up 28 per cent. North American rail volume for the first 15 weeks of 2021 was 10.40 million carloads and intermodal units, up 7.4 per cent compared with 2020.
Canadian railroads reported 82,929 carloads for the week, up 14.2 per cent, and 71,720 intermodal units, up 10.4 per cent compared with the same week in 2020. For the first 15 weeks of 2021, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2.28 million carloads, containers and trailers, up 7.2 per cent.
Mexican railroads reported 20,481 carloads for the week, up 41.6 per cent compared with the same week last year, and 17,197 intermodal units, up 49.3 per cent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 15 weeks of 2021 was 536,884 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 1.6 per cent from the same point last year.
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