U.S. railroads log traffic increase in Week 7, but total volume is down so far this year

U.S. freight-rail traffic spiked during the week ending Feb. 19, rising 31.7% to 497,822 carloads and intermodal units compared with the same week last year, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Total carloads rose 38.2% to 237,256 units, while intermodal volume climbed 26.3% to 260,566 containers and trailers.

All 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks posted increases during the week, including coal, up 22,547 carloads to 71,293; nonmetallic minerals, up 12,464 carloads to 28,554; and chemicals, up 11,451 carloads to 35,305.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads logged 74,320 carloads for the week, up 9.2%, and 64,704 intermodal units, up 1.3%. Mexican railroads posted 21,419 carloads, up 19.4%, and 16,246 intermodal units, down 0.5%.

For the first seven weeks of 2022 compared with the same 2021 period:
• U.S. railroads reported 3,364,164 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.7%;
• Canadian railroads reported 932,095 carloads, containers and trailers, down 10%; and
• Mexican railroads reported 257,972 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.9%.