U.S. rail volumes fell nearly 5 percent in Week 51

U.S. freight railroads logged a combined 400,289 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Dec. 24, a 4.8% decrease compared with volumes in the same period in 2021, according to Association of American Railroads data.

The railroads hauled 193,195 carloads for the week, down 4.1%, and 207,094 containers and trailers, down 5.5%.

Half of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks every week posted increases. They included motor vehicles and parts, up 1,486 carloads to 11,349; petroleum and petroleum products, up 892 carloads to 9,599; and nonmetallic minerals, up 870 carloads to 23,735.

Commodity groups that posted decreases included coal, down 9,265 carloads to 50,264; chemicals, down 1,069 carloads to 29,505; and grain, down 997 carloads to 18,198.

Also during the week, Canadian railroads transported 64,912 carloads, down 8.3%, and 45,613 intermodal units, down 20.6%. Mexican railroads hauled 20,752 carloads, up 25.5%, and 15,580 intermodal units, up 41.6%.

For the first 51 weeks of 2022 compared with the same period in 2021:
• U.S. railroads posted 25,063,210 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.7%;
• Canadian railroads reported cumulative traffic of 7,409,978 carloads, containers and trailers, down 0.7%; and
• Mexican railroads logged 1,923,031 carloads, containers and trailers, up 4.3%.