US carload, intermodal volumes fell in Week 18

U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 6 totaled 471,589 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.6% compared with volumes in the same week in 2022, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Railroads logged 231,718 carloads, down 0.04%, and 240,141 containers and trailers, down 12.1%.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks weekly posted increases. They included petroleum and petroleum products, up 13.3%; motor vehicles and parts, 7.8%; and metallic ores and metals, 7.2%.

Commodity groups that posting decreases included forest products, -4.4%; chemicals, -3.4%; and grain, -3.3%.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads posted 76,585 carloads for the week, up 1%, and 65,947 intermodal units, down 15.6%. Mexican railroads logged 22,048 carloads, down 4.4%, and 14,787 intermodal units, down 6.8%.

For the first 18 weeks of 2023 compared with the same period in 2022:
• U.S. railroads reported 8,370,864 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.6%;
• Canadian railroads reported 2,535,230 carloads, containers and trailers, down 0.3%; and
• Mexican railroads reported 695,563 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3.3%.