U.S. freight-rail volume decline continued in Week 27

U.S. freight railroads’ carload and intermodal volumes fell a combined 3.1% to 437,600 units for the week ending July 9 compared with the same period last year, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Railroads moved a total of 207,450 carloads, down 1.3%, during the week that included the July 4th national holiday. The railroads moved 230,150 containers and trailers, down 4.7%.

Four of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks weekly posted increases. They included coal, up 1,633 carloads to 60,105; farm products excluding grain, and food, up 1,056 carloads to 15,705; and motor vehicles and parts, up 409 carloads to 10,725.

Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2021 included metallic ores and metals, down 4,422 carloads to 18,019; chemicals, down 1,038 carloads to 30,163; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 378 carloads, to 9,395.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads logged 73,339 carloads for the week, up 14%, and 65,786 intermodal units, up 26.7%. Mexican railroads posted 21,974 carloads for the week, down 2.6%, and 15,503 intermodal units, down 9.1%.

For the first 27 weeks of 2022 compared with the same period in 2021:
• U.S. railroads reported 13,310,243 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.5%;
• Canadian railroads reported 3,863,292 carloads, containers and trailers, down 4.4%; and
• Mexican railroads reported 997,453 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 1%.

North American rail volume for the first 27 weeks of 2022 was 18,170,988 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.4% compared with the same period in 2021.