U.S. freight-rail volumes dipped 1.1% in Week 42

U.S. freight railroads reported a 1.1% decrease in traffic to 505,322 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Oct. 22 compared with volumes in the same week a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads data.

The railroads logged 237,456 carloads, down 0.7%, and 267,866 containers and trailers, down 1.4%. 

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases for the week. They included coal, up 3,282 carloads to 68,889; motor vehicles and parts, up 1,271 carloads to 14,671; and nonmetallic minerals, up 1,078 carloads to 32,565. 

Commodity groups that logged decreases included metallic ores and metals, down 3,510 carloads to 19,673; grain, down 1,853 carloads to 24,053; and miscellaneous carloads, down 1,535 carloads to 9,502.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported carload traffic rose 8.3% to 85,842 units and intermodal volumes fell 2.4% to 69,101 containers and trailers. Mexican railroads reported carloads climbed 0.9% to 21,957 units, while intermodal increased 3.5% to 17,315 containers and trailers.

For the first 42 weeks of 2022 compared with the same period in 2021:

• U.S. railroads reported 20,778,895 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 2.6%;

• Canadian railroads reported 6,122,692 carloads, containers and trailers, down 1.8%; and

• Mexican railroads reported 1,585,325 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3.9%.