Rail Traffic Still Recovering

Written by Andrew Corselli
image description

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ended June 6, 2020, and, for this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 433,171 carloads and intermodal units, down 15.6% compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ended June 6 were 192,494 carloads, down 22% compared with the same week in 2019, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 240,677 containers and trailers, down 9.6% 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 commodities such as coal, down 22,981 carloads, to 48,689; metallic ores and metals, down 9,054 carloads, to 13,393; and motor vehicles and parts, down 6,386 carloads, to 9,365.

For the first 23 weeks of 2020, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 4,906,251 carloads, down 15.1% from the same point last year; and 5,427,307 intermodal units, down 11.2% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 23 weeks of 2020 was 10,333,558 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 13.1% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ended June 6, 2020, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 279,024 carloads, down 21% compared with the same week last year, and 319,277 intermodal units, down 9.8% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 598,301 carloads and intermodal units, down 15.4%. North American rail volume for the first 23 weeks of 2020 was 14,296,515 carloads and intermodal units, down 11.7% compared with 2019.

Canadian railroads reported 68,464 carloads for the week, down 18.7%, and 63,886 intermodal units, down 8.4% compared with the same week in 2019. For the first 23 weeks of 2020, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,192,067 carloads, containers and trailers, down 7.6%.

Mexican railroads reported 18,066 carloads for the week, down 18.6% compared with the same week last year, and 14,714 intermodal units, down 18.3%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 23 weeks of 2020 was 770,890 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 9.8% from the same point last year.

Tags: , ,