U.S. rail volumes fell 2.8% in Week 22

U.S. freight-rail volume dipped 2.8% to 475,513 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending June 4 compared with volume in the same week in 2021, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Railroads logged 225,274 carloads, down 1%, and 250,239 containers and trailers, down 4.4%.

Four of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks weekly posted increases. They included grain, up 2,515 carloads to 23,867; motor vehicles and parts, up 1,385 carloads to 12,518; and nonmetallic minerals, up 562 carloads to 29,778.

Commodity groups that posted decreases included metallic ores and metals, down 3,222 carloads to 20,192; miscellaneous carloads, down 1,468 carloads to 8,037; and farm products excluding grain and food, down 887 carloads to 14,510.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads logged 75,646 carloads for the week, down 3.5%, and 67,573 intermodal units, down 9.2%. Mexican railroads posted 19,012 carloads for the week, up 2.8%, and 14,005 intermodal units, up 1.2%.

For the first 22 weeks of 2022 compared with 2021:

• U.S. railroads reported 5,061,636 carloads, up 0.1%, and 5,805,846 intermodal units, down 6.5%;

• Canadian railroads reported 3,134,201 carloads, containers and trailers, down 6.1%; and

• Mexican railroads reported 813,863 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3%.