Week 51: U.S. Carloads, Intermodal Register Double-Digit Gains

(BNSF Photograph)

U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Dec. 23, 2023 (Week 51), came in at 486,787 carloads and intermodal units, rising 24.2% from the same week last year, based on 230,946 carloads—up 23.7% from 2022—and intermodal volume of 255,841 containers and trailers—up 24.7%, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Dec. 27.

This is the seventh consecutive week of increases in total U.S. rail traffic. For the week ending Dec. 16 (Week 50), total U.S. rail traffic was 502,583 carloads and intermodal units, rising 7.6% from the prior-year period. It comprised 234,449 carloads, up 6.5% from 2022, and 268,134 containers and trailers, up 8.6% from 2022.

All 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase for the week ending Dec. 23, 2023, compared with the same week in 2022, according to the AAR. They included coal, up 16,458 carloads, to 66,730; motor vehicles and parts, up 4,936 carloads, to 16,287; and grain, up 4,475 carloads, to 21,237.

For the first 51 weeks of 2023, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 11,519,813 carloads, up 0.6% from the same point last year; and 12,478,616 intermodal units, down 5.0% from 2022. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 51 weeks of this year was 23,998,429 carloads and intermodal units, a 2.4% decline from last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending Dec. 23, 2023, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 340,069 carloads, a 21.4% gain compared with the same week last year, and 337,542 intermodal units, a 25.3% increase over last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 677,611 carloads and intermodal units, up 23.3%. North American rail volume for the first 51 weeks of this year was 33,580,237 carloads and intermodal units, a 2.2% dip from 2022.

Canadian railroads reported 93,678 carloads for the week ending Dec. 23, 2023, up 23.1%, and 70,358 intermodal units, up 33.5% from the same point last year. For the first 51 weeks of 2023, they reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 8,168,179 carloads, containers and trailers, a drop-off of 2.5%.

Mexican railroads reported 15,445 carloads for the week ending Dec. 23, 2023, falling 11.0% from the same period last year, and 11,343 intermodal units, dropping 2.2%. Their cumulative volume for the first 51 weeks of this year was 1,413,629 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.1% from 2022.