AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending September 9, 2023

The Association of American Railroads (AAR)today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending September 9, 2023.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 447,345 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.7 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending September 9 were 218,101 carloads, up 0.6 percent compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 229,244 containers and trailers, down 3.8 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 1,585 carloads, to 14,913; petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,416 carloads, to 9,734; and coal, up 866 carloads, to 68,367. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2022 included grain, down 2,427 carloads, to 14,626; nonmetallic minerals, down 679 carloads, to 30,163; and forest products, down 514 carloads, to 7,840.

For the first 36 weeks of 2023, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,071,215 carloads, up 0.1 percent from the same point last year; and8,549,682 intermodal units, down 9.0 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 36 weeks of 2023 was 16,620,897 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 4.8 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending September 9, 2023, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 323,563 carloads, up 0.0 percent compared with the same week last year, and 305,358 intermodal units, down 6.0 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 628,921 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.0 percent. North American rail volume for the first 36 weeks of 2023 was 23,304,320 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.1 percent compared with 2022.

Canadian railroads reported 89,460 carloads for the week, up 0.5 percent, and 64,914 intermodal units, down 13.2 percent compared with the same week in 2022. For the first 36 weeks of 2023, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,674,192 carloads, containers and trailers, down 3.4 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 16,002 carloads for the week, down 9.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,200 intermodal units, down 4.3 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 36 weeks of 2023 was 1,009,231 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 4.7percent from the same point last year.