AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending April 22, 2023

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 22, 2023.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 480,457 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.5 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending April 22 were 240,584 carloads, up 5.1 percent compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 239,873 containers and trailers, down 10.8 percent compared to 2022.

Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2022. They included coal, up 10,985 carloads, to 68,879; motor vehicles and parts, up 1,396 carloads, to 14,643; and metallic ores and metals, up 812 carloads, to 23,062. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2022 included grain, down 1,034 carloads, to 22,013; forest products, down 886 carloads, to 8,875; and chemicals, down 505 carloads, to 34,298.

For the first 16 weeks of 2023, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,693,811 carloads, up 0.5 percent from the same point last year; and 3,723,234 intermodal units, down 10.9 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 16 weeks of 2023 was 7,417,045 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 5.6 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending April 22, 2023, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 346,012 carloads, up 5.0 percent compared with the same week last year, and 320,991 intermodal units, down 10.3 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 667,003 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.0 percent. North American rail volume for the first 16 weeks of 2023 was 10,268,381 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.8 percent compared with 2022.

Canadian railroads reported 81,037 carloads for the week, up 4.4 percent, and 64,915 intermodal units, down 9.5 percent compared with the same week in 2022. For the first 16 weeks of 2023, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,243,938 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.5 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 24,391 carloads for the week, up 6.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 16,203 intermodal units, down 4.8 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 16 weeks of 2023 was 607,398 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.4 percent from the same point last year.