Rail Traffic Still Down

By Andrew Corselli of Railway Age,

Total carloads for this week were 201,823 carloads, down 21.8% compared with the same week in 2019, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 255,455 containers and trailers, down 4.4% compared to 2019.

None of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2019. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2019 included commodities such as coal, down 26,340 carloads, to 52,392; metallic ores and metals, down 8,176 carloads, to 14,459; and nonmetallic minerals, down 6,839 carloads, to 29,478.

For the first 25 weeks of 2020, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,306,511 carloads, down 15.7% from the same point last year; and 5,933,616 intermodal units, down 10.8% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 25 weeks of 2020 was 11,240,127 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 13.2% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ended June 20, 2020, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 294,794 carloads, down 19.3% compared with the same week last year, and 334,884 intermodal units, down 6% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 629,678 carloads and intermodal units, down 12.7%. North American rail volume for the first 25 weeks of 2020 was 15,545,401 carloads and intermodal units, down 11.9% compared with 2019.

Canadian railroads reported 72,171 carloads for the week, down 14.9%, and 64,537 intermodal units, down 7.7% compared with the same week in 2019. For the first 25 weeks of 2020, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,465,280 carloads, containers and trailers, down 8%.

Mexican railroads reported 20,800 carloads for the week, down 7% compared with the same week last year, and 14,892 intermodal units, down 21.5%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 25 weeks of 2020 was 839,994 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 10.2% from the same point last year.