The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending July 8, 2023.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 407,843 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.1 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending July 8 were 197,086 carloads, down 2.3 percent compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 210,757 containers and trailers, down 7.6 percent compared to 2022.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2022. They included metallic ores and metals, up 1,243 carloads, to 18,031; nonmetallic minerals, up 759 carloads, to 30,033; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 445 carloads, to 8,843. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2022 included grain, down 3,685 carloads, to 12,629; coal, down 1,745 carloads, to 58,369; and forest products, down 1,373 carloads, to 7,140.

For the first 27 weeks of 2023, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 6,040,821 carloads, up 0.5 percent from the same point last year; and 6,324,352 intermodal units, down 10.2 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 27 weeks of 2023 was 12,365,173 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 5.3 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending July 8, 2023, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 296,283 carloads, down 2.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 260,069 intermodal units, down 16.8 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 556,352 carloads and intermodal units, down 9.8 percent. North American rail volume for the first 27 weeks of 2023 was 17,384,731 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.2 percent compared with 2022.

Canadian railroads reported 83,374 carloads for the week, down 2.7 percent, and 38,849 intermodal units, down 46.2 percent compared with the same week in 2022. For the first 27 weeks of 2023, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,271,926 carloads, containers and trailers, down 2.2 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 15,823 carloads for the week, down 7.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,463 intermodal units, down 15.6 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 27 weeks of 2023 was 747,632 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 4.1 percent from the same point last year.

To view the weekly rail traffic charts, click here.