The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 29, 2023, as well as volumes for April 2023.
U.S. railroads originated 936,637 carloads in April 2023, up 1.8 percent, or 16,981 carloads, from April 2022. U.S. railroads also originated 945,313 containers and trailers in April 2023, down 12.7 percent, or 137,879 units, from the same month last year. Combined U.S. carload and intermodal originations in April 2023 were 1,881,950, down 6.0 percent, or 120,898 carloads and intermodal units from April 2022.
In April 2023, seven of the 20 carload commodity categories tracked by the AAR each month saw carload gains compared with April 2022. These included: coal, up 10,098 carloads or 4.1 percent; crushed stone, sand & gravel, up 7,901 carloads or 9.7 percent; and motor vehicles & parts, up 6,483 carloads or 12.3 percent. Commodities that saw declines in April 2023 from April 2022 included: chemicals, down 4,677 carloads or 3.4 percent; grain, down 3,294 carloads or 3.7 percent; and nonmetallic minerals, down 2,263 carloads or 14.9 percent.
“Intermodal continues to suffer because of significantly lower trade activity at ports, weaker consumer demand, and continued excess retail inventories from the pandemic era,” said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray. “These headwinds won’t last forever. When they dissipate, railroads will be prepared to meet their customers’ needs safely and reliably.”
Excluding coal, carloads were up 6,883 carloads, or 1.0 percent, in April 2023 from April 2022. Excluding coal and grain, carloads were up 10,177 carloads, or 1.7 percent.
Total U.S. carload traffic for the first four months of 2023 was 3,930,129 carloads, up 0.6 percent, or 23,161 carloads, from the same period last year; and 3,968,876 intermodal units, down 10.9 percent, or 484,228 containers and trailers, from last year.
Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 17 weeks of 2023 was 7,899,005 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 5.5 percent compared to last year.
Week ending April 29, 2023
Total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 481,960 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.9 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending April 29 were 236,318 carloads, up 1.4 percent compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 245,642 containers and trailers, down 10.3 percent compared to 2022.
Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2022. They included motor vehicles and parts, up 1,702 carloads, to 15,529; petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,349 carloads, to 10,177; and nonmetallic minerals, up 1,171 carloads, to 33,863. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2022 included miscellaneous carloads, down 849 carloads, to 8,780; chemicals, down 670 carloads, to 33,864; and forest products, down 549 carloads, to 9,616.
North American rail volume for the week ending April 29, 2023, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 343,589 carloads, up 2.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 326,666 intermodal units, down 11.4 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 670,255 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.6 percent. North American rail volume for the first 17 weeks of 2023 was 10,938,636 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.9 percent compared with 2022.
Canadian railroads reported 83,719 carloads for the week, up 8.2 percent, and 65,041 intermodal units, down 16.2 percent compared with the same week in 2022. For the first 17 weeks of 2023, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,392,698 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 0.2 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 23,552 carloads for the week, down 1.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 15,983 intermodal units, down 7.1 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 17 weeks of 2023 was 646,933 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.0 percent from the same point last year.
To view the weekly traffic charts, click here.
