AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending January 7, 2023

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending January 7, 2023.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 416,489 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.5 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending January 7 were 212,962 carloads, up 1.4 percent compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 203,527 containers and trailers, down 11.8 percent compared to 2022.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2022. They included coal, up 8,870 carloads, to 63,928; petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,215 carloads, to 10,119; and motor vehicles and parts, up 960 carloads, to 11,752. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2022 were chemicals, down 7,016 carloads, to 27,356; miscellaneous carloads, down 1,691 carloads, to 7,016; and forest products, down 1,117 carloads, to 8,574.

North American rail volume for the week ending January 7, 2023, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 305,444 carloads, up 5.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 271,276 intermodal units, down 9.4 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 576,720 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.1 percent. North American rail volume for the first week of 2023 was 576,720 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.1 percent compared with 2022.

Canadian railroads reported 72,040 carloads for the week, up 19.5 percent, and 54,498 intermodal units, down 4.0 percent compared with the same week in 2022. For the first week of 2023, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 126,538 carloads, containers and trailers, up 8.1 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 20,442 carloads for the week, up 5.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 13,251 intermodal units, up 10.8 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first week of 2023 was 33,693 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 7.5 percent from the same point last year.