For Week 9, U.S. Carloads, Intermodal Down

(Photograph Courtesy of CP via Twitter)

U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 4, 2023 (Week 9) dipped 6.3% from the same week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Feb. 22.

U.S. Class I railroads hauled a total of 474,191 carloads and intermodal units, comprising 237,413 carloads, down 1.0%, and 236,778 containers and trailers, down 11.1%.

According to AAR, four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2022. They included coal, up 3,612 carloads, to 72,903; petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,320 carloads, to 10,523; and motor vehicles and parts, up 995 carloads, to 14,264. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2022 included grain, down 4,309 carloads, to 20,522; nonmetallic minerals, down 1,312 carloads, to 31,204; and metallic ores and metals, down 1,244 carloads, to 19,124.

For the first nine weeks of 2023, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,066,853 carloads, up 0.1% from the same point last year; and 2,100,685 intermodal units, down 8.6% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first nine weeks of 2023 was 4,167,538 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 4.5% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending March 4, 2023, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 341,889 carloads, up 1.9% compared with the same week last year, and 311,197 intermodal units, down 10.4% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 653,086 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.4%. North American rail volume for the first nine weeks of 2023 was 5,750,477 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.5% compared with 2022.

Canadian railroads reported 80,825 carloads for the week, up 7.6%, and 57,978 intermodal units, down 12.2% compared with the same week in 2022. For the first nine weeks of 2023, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,250,113 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3.7%.

Mexican railroads reported 23,651 carloads for the week, up 15.0% compared with the same week last year, and 16,441 intermodal units, up 9.4%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first nine weeks of 2023 was 332,826 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 0.1% from the same point last year.