AAR: U.S. railroads 'preparing for growth'

U.S. freight-rail traffic in August edged up 0.4% to 2,525,510 carloads, containers and trailers compared with volumes originated in August 2021, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Carload volume last month rose 2.3% to 1,189,892 units, while intermodal volume fell 1.2% to 1,335,618 containers and trailers. 

Eleven of the 20 carload commodity categories tracked by the AAR each month logged gains compared with August 2021. They included coal, up 5.2%; grain, up 14.1%; and crushed stone, sand and gravel, up 7.1%.

Commodities that posted decreases included primary metal products, down 14.1%; all other carloads, down 15.9%; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 6.6%.

Traffic trends in August indicate the economy is on track to stimulate rail volume improvements, said AAR Senior Vice President John Gray in a press release.

"To be sure, some traffic categories are doing better than others, just like some sectors of the economy are doing better than others,” Gray said. "Through additional hiring and continued investments, railroads are preparing themselves for growth."

Total U.S. freight-rail volumes for the first eight months of 2022 was 8,090,712 carloads, up 0.3%, and 9,248,250 intermodal units, down 5.1%, compared with the same period a year ago.