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U.S. Rail Traffic for the week ending May 14, 2022

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 14, 2022.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 505,120 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.4 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending May 14 were 230,128 carloads, down 5.2 percent compared with the same week in 2021, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 274,992 containers and trailers, down 5.5 percent compared to 2021.

Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2021. They were nonmetallic minerals, up 1,570 carloads, to 33,344; farm products excl. grain, and food, up 993 carloads, to 16,257; and motor vehicles and parts, up 625 carloads, to 13,097. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2021 included coal, down 4,317 carloads, to 64,015; grain, down 3,561 carloads, to 21,910; and metallic ores and metals, down 2,289 carloads, to 21,426.

For the first 19 weeks of 2022, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 4,368,828 carloads, up 0.6 percent from the same point last year; and 5,001,231 intermodal units, down 6.9 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 19 weeks of 2022 was 9,370,059 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 3.5 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending May 14, 2022, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 325,431 carloads, down 4.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 367,153 intermodal units, down 4.2 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 692,584 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first 19 weeks of 2022 was 12,770,815 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.9 percent compared with 2021.

Canadian railroads reported 74,072 carloads for the week, down 5.1 percent, and 76,004 intermodal units, down 1.8 percent compared with the same week in 2021. For the first 19 weeks of 2022, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,691,713 carloads, containers, and trailers, down 6.7 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 21,231 carloads for the week, up 12.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 16,157 intermodal units, up 9.5 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 19 weeks of 2022 was 709,043 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.1 percent from the same point last year.

To view the U.S. Traffic counts, click here.