The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending December 17, 2022.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 476,232 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.5 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending December 17 were 226,977 carloads, down 3.2 percent compared with the same week in 2021, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 249,255 containers and trailers, down 7.5 percent compared to 2021.
Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2021. They were motor vehicles and parts, up 2,783 carloads, to 15,251; farm products excl. grain, and food, up 603 carloads, to 16,719; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 181 carloads, to 10,582. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2021 included coal, down 3,317 carloads, to 61,577; chemicals, down 2,766 carloads, to 31,342; and miscellaneous carloads, down 1,948 carloads, to 8,512.
For the first 50 weeks of 2022, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 11,603,096 carloads, up 0 percent from the same point last year; and 13,059,825 intermodal units, down 4.9 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 50 weeks of 2022 was 24,662,921 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 2.7 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending December 17, 2022, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 330,786 carloads, up 0.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 329,112 intermodal units, down 5.7 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 659,898 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.9 percent. North American rail volume for the first 50 weeks of 2022 was 33,849,073 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.8 percent compared with 2021.
Canadian railroads reported 81,774 carloads for the week, up 7.2 percent, and 64,345 intermodal units, down 2.2 percent compared with the same week in 2021. For the first 50 weeks of 2022, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 7,299,453 carloads, containers, and trailers, down 0.4 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 22,035 carloads for the week, up 13.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 15,512 intermodal units, up 10.5 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 50 weeks of 2022 was 1,886,699 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.9 percent from the same point last year.
To view the weekly rail traffic charts, click here.
