Carloads, Intermodal Down Through Week 31
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
Norfolk Southern photo
U.S. carloads and intermodal traffic declined for Week 31 (the week ending Aug. 6, 2022), the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on Aug. 10, with intermodal dropping more than carload.Traffic also declined cumulatively for the year’s first 31 weeks.
Total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 496,526 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.6% compared with the same week last year.Total carloads were 230,573, down 1.6% compared with the same week in 2021, while intermodal volume was 265,953 containers and trailers, down 3.4% compared to 2021.
Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2021. They included grain, up 1,809 carloads to 19,916; nonmetallic minerals, up 633 carloads to 34,409; and farm products excluding grain, and food, up 378 carloads to 15,618. Commodity groups that posted decreases included miscellaneous carloads, down 2,260 carloads to 7,901; chemicals, down 1,385 carloads to 32,287; and coal, down 1,076 carloads to 65,812.
For the first 31 weeks of 2022, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 7,131,393 carloads, down 0.1% from the same point last year; and 8,178,585 intermodal units, down 5.7% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 31 weeks of 2022 was 15,309,978 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 3.2% compared to l2021.
North American rail volume for the week ending August 6, 2022, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 327,633 carloads, down 0.1%, and 354,967 intermodal units, down 1.2%. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 682,600 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.7%. North American rail volume for the first 31 weeks of 2022 was 20,917,514 carloads and intermodal units, down 3% compared with 2021.
Canadian railroads reported 74,899 carloads for the week, up 3.2%, and 73,082 intermodal units, up 6.7%, compared with the same week in 2021. For the first 31 weeks of 2022, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,447,124 carloads, containers and trailers, down 3.5%.
Mexican railroads reported 22,161 carloads for the week, up 4.8% compared with the same week last year, and 15,932 intermodal units, up 2.7%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 31 weeks of 2022 was 1,160,412 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 1.3% from 2021.
