U.S. Rail Traffic Dips in Week 12, AAR

U.S. Class I railroads hauled 504,817 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending March 26, 2022, falling 3.2% from the prior-year period. This is based on 233,555 carloads—up 0.5% from 2021—and 271,262 containers and trailers—down 6.2%, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on March 30.

It is the fifth consecutive week that total U.S. rail traffic has declined.

For week 12, ending March 26, 2022, four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2021. They included coal, up 5,140 carloads, to 66,504; chemicals, up 2,206 carloads, to 34,264; and motor vehicles and parts, up 826 carloads, to 14,341. Commodity groups that posted decreases included petroleum and petroleum products, down 2,056 carloads, to 8,638; grain, down 1,999 carloads, to 22,516; and metallic ores and metals, down 1,449 carloads, to 20,492.

For the first 12 weeks of 2022, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,755,177 carloads, rising 2.8% from the same point last year; and 3,099,667 intermodal units, falling 7% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 12 weeks of 2022 came in at 5,854,844 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.7% from last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending March 26, 2022, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 330,751 carloads, dipping 1.7% vs. the same week in 2021, and 352,549 intermodal units, decreasing 6.9%. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 683,300 carloads and intermodal units, a 4.5% drop-off. North American rail volume for the first 12 weeks of this year was 7,932,641 carloads and intermodal units, down 4% compared with 2021.

Canadian railroads reported 75,338 carloads for the week, falling 10.5%, and 65,476 intermodal units, declining 12.3% vs. the prior-year period. For the first 12 weeks of 2022, they reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,628,488 carloads, containers and trailers, down 10.3%.

Mexican railroads reported 21,858 carloads for the week, gaining 9% over the same week last year, and 15,811 intermodal units, increasing 5%. Their cumulative volume for the first 12 weeks of 2022 was 449,309 carloads plus intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.7% from the same period in 2021.