Rail Traffic Down Across the Board

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ended June 13, 2020, and, for this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 449,291 carloads and intermodal units, down 14.9% compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ended June 13 were 198,437 carloads, down 22.8% compared with the same week in 2019, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 250,854 containers and trailers, down 7.3% compared to 2019.

One of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2019. It was miscellaneous carloads, up 1,030 carloads, to 10,259. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2019 included commodities such as coal, down 27,681 carloads, to 50,034; metallic ores and metals, down 8,684 carloads, to 14,549; and nonmetallic minerals, down 7,460 carloads, to 30,344.

For the first 24 weeks of 2020, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,104,688 carloads, down 15.4% from the same point last year; and 5,678,161 intermodal units, down 11.1% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 24 weeks of 2020 was 10,782,849 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 13.2% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ended June 13, 2020, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 289,864 carloads, down 20.4% compared with the same week last year, and 329,344 intermodal units, down 8.4% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 619,208 carloads and intermodal units, down 14.4%. North American rail volume for the first 24 weeks of 2020 was 14,915,723 carloads and intermodal units, down 11.9% compared with 2019.

Canadian railroads reported 72,127 carloads for the week, down 15.5%, and 64,378 intermodal units, down 8.6% compared with the same week in 2019. For the first 24 weeks of 2020, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,328,572 carloads, containers and trailers, down 7.8%.

Mexican railroads reported 19,300 carloads for the week, down 10.9% compared with the same week last year, and 14,112 intermodal units, down 23.8%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 24 weeks of 2020 was 804,302 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 10.1% from the same point last year.