Week 5: U.S. Rail Traffic Behind 2021 Levels
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Feb. 5, 2022 was 458,152 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.6% compared with the same week last year, based on 218,286 carloads—down 3.6%—and intermodal volume of 239,866 containers and trailers—down 11%, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on Feb. 9.
Two of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2021, according to AAR. They were coal, up 4,682 carloads, to 64,582; and chemicals, up 348 carloads, to 33,921. Commodity groups that posted declines from the previous-year period included motor vehicles and parts, down 4,614 carloads, to 10,432; grain, down 2,569 carloads, to 23,517; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 2,315 carloads, to 9,148.
For the first five weeks of 2022, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,120,551 carloads, dipping 3.1% from the same point last year; and 1,241,309 intermodal units, dropping 14% from 2021. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first five weeks of 2022 was 2,361,860 carloads and intermodal units, a fall-off of 9.1% compared with last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending Feb. 5, 2022, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 308,622 carloads, decreasing 4.4% from the same week last year, and 318,404 intermodal units, falling 10.6% vs. last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 627,026 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.6%. North American rail volume for the first five weeks of 2022 was 3,199,148 carloads and intermodal units, down 10% from 2021.
Canadian railroads reported 69,102 carloads for the week, dropping 10.5%, and 63,418 intermodal units, decreasing 10.5% from the same week in 2021. For the first five weeks of 2022, they reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 652,624 carloads, containers and trailers, down 15.2%.
Mexican railroads reported 21,234 carloads for the week, up 9.9% from the previous-year period, and 15,120 intermodal units, down 4.4%. Their cumulative volume for the first five weeks of 2022 was 184,664 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 1.4% compared with 2021.
