U.S. rail traffic in Week 14: Carloads up, intermodal down

U.S. freight railroads’ combined volume dipped 1% to 508,343 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending April 9 compared with the same period a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Total carloads for the week rose 1.4% to 236,459 units, while intermodal volume fell 3.1% to 271,884 containers and trailers.

Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted increases during the week. They included coal, up 3,519 carloads to 65,725; motor vehicles and parts, up 1,320 carloads to 13,352; and chemicals, up 1,185 carloads to 35,152.

Commodity groups that posted decreases included petroleum and petroleum products, down 2,107 carloads to 9,319; metallic ores and metals, down 1,753 carloads to 20,711; and miscellaneous carloads, down 551 carloads to 9,808.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads logged 78,850 carloads for the week, down 0.9 percent, and 75,535 intermodal units, up 0.2%. Mexican railroads registered 22,289 carloads for the week, up 1.8%, and 15,874 intermodal units, down 7.2%.

For the first 14 weeks of 2022 compared with the same period in 2021:
• U.S. railroads reported 6,865,381 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.5%;
• Canadian railroads reported 1,936,407 carloads, containers and trailers, down 8.8%; and
• Mexican railroads reported 512,546 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.2%.