Freight-rail traffic decline continued in Week 25

(Source: Progressive Railroading 06/25/2020)

U.S. freight railroads hauled 457,278 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending June 20, a 12.9 percent decrease compared with volumes transported during the same week in 2019, Association of American Railroads data.

Total carloads for the week were 201,823, down 21.8 percent, while intermodal volume was 255,455 containers and trailers, down 4.4 percent.

None of 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase during the week.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads logged 72,171 carloads for the week, down 14.9 percent, and 64,537 intermodal units, down 7.7 percent. Mexican railroads reported 20,800 carloads, down 7 percent, and 14,892 intermodal units, down 21.5 percent.

U.S. and Canadian Class Is reported the following carload volume for the week versus a year ago: BNSF Railway Co., 76,851 carloads, down from 97,577; CN, 53,916, down from 64,801; Canadian Pacific, 29,464, down from 35,950; CSX, 56,122, down from 70,906; Kansas City Southern, 13,021, down from 15,564; Norfolk Southern Railway, 48,835, down from 66,230; and Union Pacific Railroad, 75,800, down from 91,855.

For the first 25 weeks of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019:

• U.S. railroads logged 11,240,127 carloads and intermodal units, down 13.2 percent;
• Canadian railroads reported 3,465,280 carloads, containers and trailers, down 8 percent; and
• Mexican railroads posted 839,994 carloads, containers and trailers, down 10.2 percent.