U.S. rail traffic a mixed bag in Week 44

U.S. carload traffic fell 5.2% to 224,415 units, but intermodal volume climbed 1.5% to 260,342 containers and trailers in the week ending Nov. 4 compared with the same period in 2022, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Combined, U.S. railroads reported 484,757 carloads and intermodal units for the week, down 1.7% year over year.

Three of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks every week posted increases compared with the same week in 2022. They were motor vehicles and parts, 2.5%; petroleum and petroleum products, 2.9%; and farm products, excluding grain, and food, 1.6%.

Commodity groups that posted decreases included grain, -14.6%; coal, -4.4%; and nonmetallic minerals, -7.6%.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads in the week transported 97,307 carloads, up 2.5%; and 67,421 intermodal units, down 10.7%. Mexican railroads moved 15,467 carloads, up 24.2%; and 11,670 intermodal units, up 29.6%.

For the first 44 weeks of 2023 compared with the same period in 2022:
• U.S. railroads reported 20,586,243 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.7%;
• Canadian railroads posted 7,008,124 carloads, containers and trailers, down 3.4%; and
• Mexican railroads logged 1,239,496 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3.4%.