Week 22: U.S. Rail Traffic Remains Below 2021 Levels

Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
(Photograph Courtesy of BNSF)

(Photograph Courtesy of BNSF)

U.S. Class I railroads hauled 475,513 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending June 4, 2022, falling 2.8% from the prior-year period. This is based on 225,274 carloads—down 1.0% from 2021—and 250,239 containers and trailers—down 4.4%, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on June 8.

This is the 15th consecutive week that total traffic has declined. (Total traffic gains were last seen in Week 7, which ended Feb. 17, 2022.)

For week 22, ending June 4, 2022, four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2021. They included grain, up 2,515 carloads, to 23,867; motor vehicles and parts, up 1,385 carloads, to 12,518; and nonmetallic minerals, up 562 carloads, to 29,778. Commodity groups that posted decreases included metallic ores and metals, down 3,222 carloads, to 20,192; miscellaneous carloads, down 1,468 carloads, to 8,037; and farm products excluding grain, and food, down 887 carloads, to 14,510.

For the first 22 weeks of 2022, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,061,636 carloads, rising 0.1% from the same point last year; and 5,805,846 intermodal units, falling 6.5%. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 22 weeks of this year was 10,867,482 carloads and intermodal units, a 3.5% drop from 2021.

North American rail volume for the week ending June 4, 2022, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 319,932 carloads, dipping 1.4% compared with the same week last year, and 331,817 intermodal units, decreasing 5.2%. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 651,749 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.4%. North American rail volume for the first 22 weeks of 2022 came in at 14,815,546 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.7% compared with 2021.

Canadian railroads reported 75,646 carloads for the week, a 3.5% decrease, and 67,573 intermodal units, a 9.2% drop compared with the same week in 2021. For the first 22 weeks of 2022, they reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,134,201 carloads, containers and trailers, down 6.1%.

Mexican railroads saw the only gains in week 22, reporting 19,012 carloads, an increase of 2.8% from the prior-year period, and 14,005 intermodal units, a rise of 1.2%. Their cumulative volume for the first 22 weeks of 2022 was 813,863 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3% from the same point in 2021.

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