AAR reports Weekly Rail Traffic for June and the week ending July 1 2023
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending July 1, 2023, as well as volumes for June 2023.
U.S. railroads originated 903,397 carloads in June 2023, down 0.2 percent, or 1,931 carloads, from June 2022. U.S. railroads also originated 988,766 containers and trailers in June 2023, down 7.0 percent, or 74,306 units, from the same month last year. Combined U.S. carload and intermodal originations in June 2023 were 1,892,163, down 3.9 percent, or 76,237 carloads and intermodal units from June 2022.
In June 2023, 11 of the 20 carload commodity categories tracked by the AAR each month saw carload gains compared with June 2022. These included: motor vehicles & parts, up 11,142 carloads or 21.1 percent; metallic ores, up 4,786 carloads or 22.0 percent; and crushed stone, sand & gravel, up 4,540 carloads or 5.4 percent. Commodities that saw declines in June 2023 from June 2022 included: grain, down 19,752 carloads or 24.0 percent; coal, down 3,772 carloads or 1.5 percent; and chemicals, down 3,750 carloads or 2.9 percent.
John T. Gray
“Recent rail traffic patterns point to contrasts in the broader economy,” said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray. “For example, rail intermodal is largely consumer goods, but recent spending on goods has cooled considerably and, with it, intermodal volumes. On the other hand, rail carloads of industrial products are performing much better, reflecting relative strength in the auto, mineral extraction, and other sectors.”
Excluding coal, carloads were up 1,841 carloads, or 0.3 percent, in June 2023 from June 2022. Excluding coal and grain, carloads were up 21,593 carloads, or 3.8 percent.
Total U.S. carload traffic for the first six months of 2023 was 5,843,735 carloads, up 0.6 percent, or 32,547 carloads, from the same period last year; and 6,113,595 intermodal units, down 10.3 percent, or 698,375 containers and trailers, from last year.
Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 26 weeks of 2023 was 11,957,330 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 5.3 percent compared to last year.
Week Ending July 1, 2023
Total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 474,443 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.2 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending July 1 were 223,254 carloads, down 1.7 percent compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 251,189 containers and trailers, down 4.5 percent compared to 2022.
Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2022. They included motor vehicles and parts, up 2,509 carloads, to 15,507; nonmetallic minerals, up 2,183 carloads, to 34,409; and metallic ores and metals, up 2,074 carloads, to 22,880. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2022 included grain, down 5,472 carloads, to 15,716; coal, down 4,430 carloads, to 59,949; and forest products, down 922 carloads, to 8,321.
North American rail volume for the week ending July 1, 2023, on 10 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 326,715 carloads, down 1.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 330,637 intermodal units, down 5.7 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 657,352 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.5 percent. North American rail volume for the first 26 weeks of 2023 was 16,816,097 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.0 percent compared with 2022.
Canadian railroads reported 86,614 carloads for the week, down 3.2 percent, and 67,511 intermodal units, down 12.8 percent compared with the same week in 2022. For the first 26 weeks of 2023, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,149,703 carloads, containers and trailers, down 1.4 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 16,847 carloads for the week, up 21.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,937 intermodal units, up 18.2 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 26 weeks of 2023 was 709,064 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.9 percent from the same point last year.
To view the weekly rail traffic charts, click here.
