AAR Rail Traffic: Week ending September 16, 2023

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic forthe week ending September 16, 2023.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 489,790 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.8 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending September 16 were 232,723 carloads, up 0.2 percent compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 257,067 containers and trailers, up 3.3 percent compared to 2022.

Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2022. They included motor vehicles and parts, up 2,410 carloads, to 16,233; petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,498 carloads, to 10,393; and chemicals, up 1,072 carloads, to 32,758. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2022 included coal, down 3,518 carloads, to 69,268; grain, down 1,581 carloads, to 16,294; and nonmetallic minerals, down 637 carloads, to 33,914.

For the first 37 weeks of 2023, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,303,938 carloads, up 0.1 percent from the same point last year; and 8,806,749 intermodal units, down 8.7 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 37 weeks of 2023 was 17,110,687 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 4.6 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending September 16, 2023, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 341,118 carloads, down 0.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 339,525 intermodal units, down 1.0 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 680,643 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.8 percent. North American rail volume for the first 37 weeks of 2023 was 23,974,092 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.1 percent compared with 2022.

Canadian railroads reported 92,110 carloads for the week, down 1.2 percent, and 71,440 intermodal units, down 12.8 percent compared with the same week in 2022. For the first 37 weeks of 2023, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,837,742 carloads, containers and trailers, down 3.5 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 16,285 carloads for the week, down 7.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,018 intermodal units, down 9.8 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 37 weeks of 2023 was 1,025,663 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.2 percent from the same point last year.