Week 45: U.S. Rail Traffic Above 2022 Levels

(Norfolk Southern Photograph)

U.S. Class I railroads hauled 497,348 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Nov. 11, 2023 (Week 45)—rising 3.4% from the prior-year period, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Nov. 15.

That total comprises 233,745 carloads, up 2.3% from the same week in 2022, and 263,603 containers and trailers, up 4.4% from 2022, according to the AAR.

The last time there were increases in both carloads and intermodal volume was the week ending Oct. 21, 2023: Carloads came in at 234,893, up 1.5% from 2022, and containers and trailers reached 271,092, up 2.1% from 2022.

For the week ending Nov. 4, 2023, U.S. Class I’s moved 224,415 carloads, down 5.2% from last year, and 260,342 containers and trailers, up 1.5% from last year.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase for the week ending Nov. 11, 2023, compared with the same week in 2022, the AAR reported. They included coal, up 1,793 carloads, to 69,213; motor vehicles and parts, up 1,707 carloads, to 16,542; and metallic ores and metals, up 1,520 carloads, to 19,705. Commodity groups that posted declines were nonmetallic minerals, down 1,168 carloads, to 31,294; farm products excluding grain, and food, down 113 carloads, to 16,801; and chemicals, down 95 carloads, to 30,673.

For the first 45 weeks of 2023, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 10,154,581 carloads, up 0.1% from the year-earlier period; and 10,929,010 intermodal units, down 6.8% from 2022. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 45 weeks of 2023 was 21,083,591 carloads and intermodal units, a 3.6% fall-off from the same point last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending Nov. 11, 2023, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 347,446 carloads, a 4.5% increase from the same week last year, and 345,647 intermodal units, a 3.2% gain from 2022. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America came in at 693,093 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.8%. North American rail volume for the first 45 weeks of this year was 29,526,956 carloads and intermodal units, dipping 3.2% from 2022.

Canadian railroads reported 96,878 carloads for the week ending Nov. 11, 2023, a 6.9% gain, and 69,605 intermodal units, a 5.9% drop compared with the same week last year. For the first 45 weeks of 2023, they reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 7,174,607 carloads, containers and trailers, down 3.3%.

Mexican railroads reported 16,823 carloads for the week ending Nov. 11, 2023, rising 25.9% from the same point in 2022, and 12,439 intermodal units, increasing 45.5%. Their cumulative volume for the first 45 weeks of this year was 1,268,758 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.9% from the 2022 period.