U.S. freight-rail traffic slide continued in Week 47

U.S. freight railroads moved 413,305 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending Nov. 26, a 4.1% decrease compared with the same week in 2021, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Total carloads dipped 1.1% to 206,792 units, while intermodal volume fell 6.9% to 206,513 containers and trailers.

Four of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks on a weekly basis posted increases. They included miscellaneous carloads, up 4,015 carloads to 10,410; motor vehicles and parts, up 1,516 carloads to 12,199; and metallic ores and metals, up 299 carloads to 18,552.

Commodity groups that posted decreases included grain, down 3,354 carloads to 20,261; coal, down 2,211 carloads to 61,740; and chemicals, down 1,854 carloads to 28,184.

Canadian railroads during the week reported 84,179 carloads, a 25.8% increase, and 63,444 intermodal units, up 37.8%. Mexican railroads logged 20,055 carloads and 13,681 containers and trailers, down 8% and 9%, respectively.

For the first 47 weeks of 2022 compared with the same week in 2021:

• U.S. railroads reported 23,190,907 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.5%;
• Canadian railroads reported 6,863,728 carloads, containers and trailers, down 0.9%;
• Mexican railroads reported 1,770,703 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.4%; and
• North American railroads reported a combined 31,825,338 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.9%.