For Week 28, Carloads Rise, Intermodal Falls

(Photograph Courtesy of BNSF, via LinkedIn)

U.S. rail traffic for the week ending July 15, 2023 (Week 28) was 478,153 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.4% from the same week last year, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) July 19 report. Total carloads were 225,609, up 0.9%, while intermodal volume of 252,544 containers and trailers fell 5.3%. Year-to-date, carloads improved 0.5%, but intermodal dropped 10.0% from the prior-year period.

In comparison, for the week ending July 8, 2023, U.S. Class I railroads hauled a total of 407,843 carloads and intermodal units, declining 5.1% from the same week last year, according to AAR. That comprises 197,086 carloads—down 2.3% from the year-earlier period—and 210,757 containers and trailers—down 7.6% from 2022.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase for the week ending July 15, 2023, compared with the same week last year. They included motor vehicles and parts, up 1,828 carloads, to 14,678; nonmetallic minerals, up 1,441 carloads, to 34,008; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 581 carloads, to 9,857. Commodity groups that posted decreases were grain, down 1,926 carloads, to 16,032; forest products, down 677 carloads, to 7,977; and coal, down three carloads, to 65,631.

For the first 28 weeks of this year, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 6,266,430 carloads, a 0.5% gain over the same point in 2022; and 6,576,896 intermodal units, a 10.0% fall-off from 2022. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 28 weeks of 2023 was 12,843,326 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 5.2% compared with the prior-year period.

North American rail volume for the week ending July 15, 2023, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 329,965 carloads, up 0.9% compared with the same week last year, and 313,660 intermodal units, down 12.0% from last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 643,625 carloads and intermodal units, decreasing 5.8%. North American rail volume for the first 28 weeks of this year was 18,028,356 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.2% from 2022.

Canadian railroads reported 87,054 carloads for the week ending July 15, 2023, up 1.2%, and 49,682 intermodal units, down 36.3% from the same point in 2022. For the first 28 weeks of this year, they reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,408,662 carloads, containers and trailers, down 2.7%.

Mexican railroads reported 17,302 carloads for the week ending July 15, 2023, flat (0.0%) with the same week last year, and 11,434 intermodal units, down 4.6% from last year. Their cumulative volume for the first 28 weeks of 2023 was 776,368 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.8% compared with 2022.