The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 5, 2022.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 505,177 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.9 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending March 5 were 238,870 carloads, up 2.8 percent compared with the same week in 2021, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 266,307 containers and trailers, down 5.8 percent compared to 2021.
Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2021. They included chemicals, up 5,267 carloads, to 34,854; nonmetallic minerals, up 4,746 carloads, to 32,504; and coal, up 2,675 carloads, to 68,304. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2021 included motor vehicles and parts, down 2,641 carloads, to 13,261; grain, down 1,572 carloads, to 24,880; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 1,309 carloads, to 9,195.
For the first nine weeks of 2022, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 2,056,464 carloads, up 3.5 percent from the same point last year; and 2,298,067 intermodal units, down 7 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first nine weeks of 2022 was 4,354,531 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 2.3 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending March 5, 2022, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 335,676 carloads, up 0.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 348,821 intermodal units, down 6.7 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 684,497 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.3 percent. North American rail volume for the first nine weeks of 2022 was 5,894,649 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.9 percent compared with 2021.
Canadian railroads reported 74,912 carloads for the week, down 8.9 percent, and 66,261 intermodal units, down 12.8 percent compared with the same week in 2021. For the first nine weeks of 2022, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,205,190 carloads, containers, and trailers, down 10.4 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 21,894 carloads for the week, up 13.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 16,253 intermodal units, up 6.4 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first nine weeks of 2022 was 334,928 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 1.5 percent from the same point last year.
To view the U.S. rail charts, click here.
