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U.S. Rail Traffic for the week ending February 19, 2022

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending February 19, 2022.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 497,822 carloads and intermodal units, up 31.7 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending February 19 were 237,256 carloads, up 38.2 percent compared with the same week in 2021, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 260,566 containers and trailers, up 26.3 percent compared to 2021.

All of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2021. They included coal, up 22,547 carloads, to 71,293; nonmetallic minerals, up 12,464 carloads, to 28,554; and chemicals, up 11,451 carloads, to 35,305.

For the first seven weeks of 2022, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 1,594,264 carloads, up 3.6 percent from the same point last year; and 1,769,900 intermodal units, down 7.7 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first seven weeks of 2022 was 3,364,164 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 2.7 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending February 19, 2022, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 332,995 carloads, up 29.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 341,516 intermodal units, up 19.2 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 674,511 carloads and intermodal units, up 24.0 percent. North American rail volume for the first seven weeks of 2022 was 4,554,231 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.2 percent compared with 2021.

Canadian railroads reported 74,320 carloads for the week, up 9.2 percent, and 64,704 intermodal units, up 1.3 percent compared with the same week in 2021. For the first seven weeks of 2022, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 932,095 carloads, containers, and trailers, down 10.0 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 21,419 carloads for the week, up 19.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 16,246 intermodal units, down 0.5 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first seven weeks of 2022 was 257,972 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 0.9 percent from the same point last year.

To view the U.S. Rail charts, click here.