Intermodal volume gain drives U.S. rail traffic increase in Week 43

(Source: Progressive Railroading 10/29/2020)

As has been the case in recent weeks, intermodal volume gains helped lift traffic totals for U.S. freight railroads during the week ending Oct. 24 compared with the same week a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

U.S. railroads logged 522,653 carloads and intermodal units, a 1.9% percent increase compared with the same week in 2019. Total carloads for the week were 227,543 units, down 6.5%, while intermodal volume was 295,110 containers and trailers, up 9.4%.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2019. They included grain, up 4,901 carloads to 26,044; chemicals, up 831 to 30,947; and motor vehicles and parts, up 602 to 15,462.

Commodity groups that posted decreases included coal, down 15,756 carloads to 57,536; nonmetallic minerals, down 3,360 to 31,072; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 2,827 to 10,169.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported 80,384 carloads during the week, down 2.1%, and 79,792 intermodal units, up 12.4%. Mexican railroads reported 20,130 carloads, up 0.1%, and 14,478 containers and trailers, down 26.5%.

Individual Class Is handled the following carloads during the week compared with the same week last year: BNSF Railway Co., 83,632, down from 97,550; Canadian Pacific, 33,388, up from 32,464; CN, 60,462, down from 65,083; CSX, 65,913, up from 65,857; Kansas City Southern, 14,164, up from 14,070; Norfolk Southern Railway, 53,402, down from 61,228; and Union Pacific Railroad, 84,463, up from 84,022.

For the first 43 weeks of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019:
• U.S. railroads logged 20,164,031 carloads and intermodal units, down 9.6%;
• Canadian railroads reported 6,109,272 carloads, containers and trailers, down 6.4%; and
• Mexican railroads posted 1,476,419 carloads and intermodal units, down 10.8%.