U.S. rail freight traffic remained ahead of previous-year levels, although barely, in the latest weekly statistics from the Association of American Railroads.
For the week ending Feb. 13, U.S. railroads moved 269,063 trailers and containers, a 6.9% increase over intermodal units for the corresponding week in 2020. The 211,420 carloads, meanwhile, represented a 7% decrease, leaving railroads with a total of 480,483 carloads and intermodal units, a 0.3% increase over same-year figures. Just four of 10 carload groups showed increases, led by the continuing strength of grain, with a 24.9% increase to 222.823 carloads. Four of the six carload groups recording decreases saw drops of 13% or more.
Year-to-date totals through six weeks show total traffic up 4%, with intermodal units up 10.3% and carloads down 2.9%.
North American figures for the week — from 12 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads — show overall traffic up 0.2%, with carloads down 7.4% and intermodal up 7.8%. In Canada, carloads were down 8.4% and intermodal was up 18.3% for an overall increase of 2.8%.
