The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending December 23, 2023. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 486,787 carloads and intermodal units, up 24.2 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending December 23 were 230,946 carloads, up 23.7 percent compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 255,841 containers and trailers, up 24.7 percent compared to 2022.

All of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2022. They included coal, up 16,458 carloads, to 66,730; motor vehicles and parts, up 4,936 carloads, to 16,287; and grain, up 4,475 carloads, to 21,237.

For the first 51 weeks of 2023, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 11,519,813 carloads, up 0.6 percent from the same point last year; and 12,478,616 intermodal units, down 5.0 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 51 weeks of 2023 was 23,998,429 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 2.4 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending December 23, 2023, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 340,069 carloads, up 21.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 337,542 intermodal units, up 25.3 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 677,611 carloads and intermodal units, up 23.3 percent. North American rail volume for the first 51 weeks of 2023 was 33,580,237 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.2 percent compared with 2022.

Canadian railroads reported 93,678 carloads for the week, up 23.1 percent, and 70,358 intermodal units, up 33.5 percent compared with the same week in 2022. For the first 51 weeks of 2023, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 8,168,179 carloads, containers, and trailers, down 2.5 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 15,445 carloads for the week, down 11.0 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,343 intermodal units, down 2.2 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 51 weeks of 2023 was 1,413,629 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.1 percent from the same point last year.

For the traffic charts, click here