The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 5, 2023.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 471,938 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.2 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending August 5 were 222,199 carloads, down 1 percent compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 249,739 containers and trailers, down 5.2 percent compared to 2022.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2022. They included motor vehicles and parts, up 1,740 carloads, to 14,991; metallic ores and metals, up 1,131 carloads, to 22,050; and miscellaneous carloads, up 817 carloads, to 8,308. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2022 included grain, down 3,658 carloads, to 15,623; coal, down 1,245 carloads, to 64,574; and chemicals, down 799 carloads, to 30,264.

For the first 31 weeks of 2023, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 6,941,594 carloads, up 0.4 percent from the same point last year; and 7,330,887 intermodal units, down 9.5 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 31 weeks of 2023 was 14,272,481 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 5 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending August 5, 2023, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 328,156 carloads, up 0.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 331,701 intermodal units, down 6.4 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 659,857 carloads and intermodal units, down 3 percent. North American rail volume for the first 31 weeks of 2023 was 20,030,596 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.1 percent compared with 2022.

Canadian railroads reported 89,149 carloads for the week, up 2.9 percent, and 71,762 intermodal units, down 10.9 percent compared with the same week in 2022. For the first 31 weeks of 2023, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,884,907 carloads, containers and trailers, down 2.9 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 16,808 carloads for the week, up 12.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,200 intermodal units, down 1.4 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 31 weeks of 2023 was 873,208 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 4.9 percent from the same point last year.

To view the weekly rail traffic charts, click here.