The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending November 4, 2023. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 484,757 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.7 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending November 4 were 224,415 carloads, down 5.2 percent compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 260,342 containers and trailers, up 1.5 percent compared to 2022.
Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2022. They were motor vehicles and parts, up 357 carloads, to 14,841; farm products excl. grain, and food, up 274 carloads, to 17,101; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 267 carloads, to 9,527. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2022 included grain, down 3,655 carloads, to 21,395; coal, down 3,017 carloads, to 65,298; and nonmetallic minerals, down 2,562 carloads, to 31,218.
For the first 44 weeks of 2023, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 9,920,836 carloads, up 0.1 percent from the same point last year; and 10,665,407 intermodal units, down 7.0 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 44 weeks of 2023 was 20,586,243 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 3.7 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending November 4, 2023, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 337,189 carloads, down 2.0 percent compared with the same week last year, and 339,433 intermodal units, down 0.5 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 676,622 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first 44 weeks of 2023 was 28,833,863 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.4 percent compared with 2022.
Canadian railroads reported 97,307 carloads for the week, up 2.5 percent, and 67,421 intermodal units, down 10.7 percent compared with the same week in 2022. For the first 44 weeks of 2023, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 7,008,124 carloads, containers and trailers, down 3.4 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 15,467 carloads for the week, up 24.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,670 intermodal units, up 29.6 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 44 weeks of 2023 was 1,239,496 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.4 percent from the same point last year.
To view the rail traffic charts, click here.
