WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 27 again shows significant increases over same-week levels a year earlier, although the numbers are inflated because 2020 figures were driven lower by the pandemic-related downturn in the economy.
The latest stats from the Association of American Railroads show 232,561 carloads for the week, a 6% increase over 2020, and 289,170 containers and trailers, a 25.8% increase. Overall, the 521,731 carloads and intermodal units represents a 16.1% increase over the same week in 2020.
Perhaps more useful is to note that the numbers are comparable to the previous week: in the week ending March 20, U.S. railroads moved 230,605 carloads, 282,720 intermodal units, and 513,325 total carloads and intermodal units.
North American totals, for 12 reporting railroads in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, included 337,683 carloads, up 4.8% over the same week in 2020; 380,050 intermodal units, up 23.8%, and 717,733 total carloads and intermodal units.
