U.S. rail traffic momentum continued in Week 50

Total U.S. freight-rail traffic jumped 7.6% to 502,583 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending Dec. 16 compared with traffic hauled in the same week a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Total carloads rose 6.5% to 234,449 units, while intermodal volume soared 8.6% to 268,134 containers and trailers.

All 10 of the carload commodity groups that AAR tracks weekly registered increases. They included grain, up 12%; chemicals, up 7.8%; and coal, up 6.3%.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads logged 97,399 carloads for the week, up 4.3%, and 72,910 intermodal units, up 2.4%. Mexican railroads posted 16,012 carloads, down 13.5%, and 11,441 intermodal units, down 7.3%.

For the first 50 weeks of 2023 compared with the same period in 2022:
• U.S. railroads reported 23,511,642 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.8%;
• Canadian railroads reported 8,004,143 carloads, containers and trailers, down 3%; and
• Mexican railroads reported 1,386,841 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2.3%.