U.S. rail volumes fell 3.2% in Week 31

U.S. freight-rail traffic dipped 3.2% to 471,938 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending Aug. 5 compared with the same period last year, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Total carloads declined 1% to 222,199, while intermodal volume fell 5.2% to 249,739 containers and trailers, according to an AAR press release.

Half of the 10 commodity groups that AAR tracks weekly logged volume increases. They included motor vehicles and parts, up 13.1%; metallic ores and metals, 5.4%; and miscellaneous carloads, 10.9%.

Commodity groups that logged volume decreases for the week included grain, down 19%; coal, -1%;  and chemicals, -2.6%.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads logged 89,149 carloads for the week, up 2.9%, and 71,762 intermodal units, down 10.9% compared with the same week in 2022. Mexican railroads reported 16,808 carloads, up 12.2%, and 10,200 intermodal units, down 1.4%.

For the first 31 weeks of 2023 compared with the same period in 2022:

• U.S. railroads reported 14,272,481 carloads and intermodal units, down 5%;

•  Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 4,884,907 carloads, containers and trailers, down 2.9%; and

• Mexican railroads reported 873,208 carloads, containers and trailers, up 4.9%.