Only Mexican railroads log intermodal growth in Week 21

U.S. railroads hauled 480,998 carloads, containers and trailers in the week ending May 27, a 4.8% decrease compared with the same week in 2022, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Total carloads rose 3.5% to 235,307, while intermodal units fell 11.6% to 245,691. Six of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks every week posted increases. They included metallic ores and metals, up 21.5%; nonmetallic minerals, 10.2%; and motor vehicles and parts, 17.5%.

Commodity groups that logged decreases included miscellaneous, -10.7%; grain, -3.7%; and coal, -1.1%.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads posted 86,249 carloads for the week, down 4.1%, and 75,251 intermodal units, down 3.6%. Mexican railroads reported 16,019 carloads for the week, up 9%, and 10,982 intermodal units, up 7.3%.

For the first 21 weeks of 2023 compared with the same period in 2022:

• U.S. railroads logged 9,624,926 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 5.5%;

• Canadian railroads posted 3,360,607 carloads, containers and trailers, a 0.6% decrease; and

• Mexican railroads reported 578,147 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, a 1.7% increase.