Rail Traffic Uptick for Week 6

For the week ending Feb. 12, 2022, U.S. rail traffic was up 5% over the same week last year; total carloads came in 11.9% higher while intermodal volume continued its downward trend, dipping 0.4%, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) Feb. 16 report.

In week 6, U.S. Class I railroads hauled a total of 504,482 carloads and intermodal units, comprising 236,457 carloads and 268,025 containers and trailers.

In comparison, U.S. rail traffic for week 5 (ending Feb. 5, 2022) was 458,152 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.6% from the same week last year, based on 218,286 carloads—down 3.6%—and intermodal volume of 239,866 containers and trailers—down 11%; and in January 2022, total carloads decreased 3% from the same month last year and intermodal units dropped 14.6%, according to the AAR.

For the week ending Feb. 12, 2022, seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase over the same week in 2021. They included coal, up 14,634 carloads, to 69,021; nonmetallic minerals, up 5,315 carloads, to 28,262; and farm products excluding grain, and food, up 2,022 carloads, to 16,911. Commodity groups that posted declines were petroleum and petroleum products, down 345 carloads, to 9,673; motor vehicles and parts, down 305 carloads, to 13,659; and miscellaneous carloads, down 282 carloads, to 9,649.

For the first six weeks of 2022, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,357,008 carloads, falling 0.8% from the prior-year period; and 1,509,334 intermodal units, dropping 11.8% from 2021. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first six weeks of 2022 was 2,866,342 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.9% compared with last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending Feb. 12, 2022, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 329,598 carloads, rising 9.3% from the same week last year, and 350,974 intermodal units, dipping 0.1% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 680,572 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.3%. North American rail volume for the first six weeks of 2022 was 3,879,720 carloads and intermodal units, a 7.8% decrease from 2021.

Canadian railroads reported 72,963 carloads for the week, a 5.2% gain, and 67,484 intermodal units, a 4.7% boost compared with the same week in 2021. For the first six weeks of 2022, they reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 793,071 carloads, containers and trailers, down 12.2%.

Mexican railroads reported 20,178 carloads for the week, declining 3.6% from 2021, and 15,465 intermodal units, decreasing 12.4%. Their cumulative volume for the first six weeks of 2022 was 220,307 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.5% from the same point last year.