AAR: U.S. railroads’ intermodal volume climbs in Week 38

(Source: Progressive Railroading 09/24/2020)

U.S. freight railroads hauled 521,956 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending Sept. 19, a 1.3 percent decrease compared with the same week a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Railroads moved fewer carloads during the week — 226,687 units, down 9.6 percent versus the same week in 2019. However, they posted an increase in intermodal volume, which rose 6.3 percent to 295,269 containers and trailers.

Three of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks weekly posted increases. They were grain, up 3,059 carloads to 22,130; motor vehicles and parts, up 1,539 to 17,610; and farm products excluding grain, and food, up 733 to 15,471.

Commodity groups logging decreases included coal, down 17,305 to 61,456; nonmetallic minerals, down 6,001 to 30,609; and metallic ores and metals, down 2,360 to 19,543.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported carloads rose 1.3 percent to 82,891 units for the week, while intermodal volume dipped 0.5 percent to 74,331 containers and trailers. Mexican railroads reported carloads declined 6.5 percent to 18,337 units and intermodal volume declined 17.2 percent to 15,532 containers and trailers.

Individual Class Is logged the following carload volume during the week compared with the same week last year: BNSF Railway Co., 86,941 carloads, down from 98,100; Canadian Pacific, 34,468, up from 32,876; CN, 61,493, down from 65,296; CSX, 64,783, down from 70,179; Kansas City Southern, 13,466, down from 13,762; Norfolk Southern Railway, 54,531, down from 64,047; and Union Pacific Railroad, 82,257, down from 86,640.

For the first 38 weeks of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019:
• U.S. railroads hauled 17,565,112 carloads and intermodal units, down 10.9 percent;
• Canadian railroads hauled 5,316,735 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.9 percent; and
• Mexican railroads hauled 1,311,906 carloads and intermodal units, down 9.7 percent.