Week 5: U.S. freight-rail traffic slowdown continues

The decline in U.S. freight-rail volume continued during the week ending Feb. 5 compared with the same week last year, according to Association for American Railroads (AAR) data.

U.S. rail traffic for the week totaled 458,152 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.6%. The railroads hauled 218,286 carloads, down 3.6%, and 239,866 containers and trailers, down 11%.

Two of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks weekly posted an increase. They were coal, up 4,682 carloads to 64,582; and chemicals, up 348 carloads to 33,921.

Commodity groups that posted decreases included motor vehicles and parts, down 4,614 carloads to 10,432; grain, down 2,569 carloads to 23,517; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 2,315 carloads to 9,148.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported 69,102 carloads for the week, down 10.5%, and 63,418 intermodal units, down 10.5%. Mexican railroads reported an increase in carload traffic, logging 21,234 carloads for a 9.9% increase. But their intermodal volume fell 4.4% to 15,120 containers and trailers.

For the first five weeks of 2022 compared with the same period in 2021:
• U.S. railroads reported 2,361,860 carloads and intermodal units, down 9.1%;
• Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 652,624 carloads, containers and trailers, down 15.2%; and
• Mexican railroads logged 184,664 carloads, containers and trailers, down 1.4%.