Week 44: U.S. Carload, Intermodal Traffic Near 2021 Levels
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
(Photograph Courtesy of Norfolk Southern)
Total U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Nov. 5, 2022 (Week 44) was virtually flat with the same week last year, as intermodal declines offset carload gains, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) Nov. 9 report.
Total U.S. weekly rail traffic came in at 502,106 carloads and intermodal units for the week, down 0.4% from the prior-year period. It comprised 243,276 carloads, up 3.2%, and 258,830 containers and trailers, down 3.6%, compared with 2021.
AAR reported that seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase for the week ending Nov. 5, 2022, compared with the same week in 2021. They included nonmetallic minerals, up 3,499 carloads, to 34,129; motor vehicles and parts, up 2,515 carloads, to 14,510; and coal, up 1,416 carloads, to 68,303. Commodity groups that posted decreases were chemicals, down 1,081 carloads, to 32,803; miscellaneous carloads, down 249 carloads, to 9,344; and forest products, down 238 carloads, to 9,325.
For the first 44 weeks of this year, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 10,214,652 carloads, up 0.2% from the same point in 2021; and 11,580,806 intermodal units, down 4.7% from 2021. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 44 weeks of 2022 was 21,795,458 carloads and intermodal units, a 2.5% fall-off from last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending Nov. 5, 2022, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 346,035 carloads, rising 2.9% from the year-ago period, and 342,343 intermodal units, dropping 4.1%. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 688,378 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.7%. North American rail volume for the first 44 weeks of this year was 29,879,757 carloads and intermodal units, a 2% decrease compared with 2021.
Canadian railroads reported 82,653 carloads for the week, increasing 3.8%, and 68,784 intermodal units, falling 6.2%, compared with the same week in 2021. For the first 44 weeks of 2022, they reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,422,164 carloads, containers and trailers, dipping 1.8%.
Mexican railroads reported 20,106 carloads for the week, a 3.8% decline compared with the same week last year, and 14,729 intermodal units, a 2.7% drop-off. Their cumulative volume for the first 44 weeks of this year was 1,662,135 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, a 3.8% increase from the same point in 2021.
