The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending October 7, 2023.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 499,217 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.0 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending October 7 were 233,768 carloads, up 3.6 percent compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 265,449 containers and trailers, up 2.5 percent compared to 2022.
Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2022. They included motor vehicles and parts, up 2,618 carloads, to 16,495; grain, up 1,403 carloads, to 23,235; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,326 carloads, to 10,139. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2022 were miscellaneous carloads, down 440 carloads, to 8,745; farm products excl. grain, and food, down 124 carloads, to 16,461; and forest products, down 1 carloads, to 7,937.
For the first 40 weeks of 2023, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 9,008,598 carloads, up 0.4 percent from the same point last year; and 9,594,783 intermodal units, down 7.9 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 40 weeks of 2023 was 18,603,381 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 4.1 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending October 7, 2023, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 346,637 carloads, up 2.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 349,627 intermodal units, down 1.5 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 696,264 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.5 percent. North American rail volume for the first 40 weeks of 2023 was 26,066,184 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.6 percent compared with 2022.
Canadian railroads reported 96,488 carloads for the week, up 2.6 percent, and 72,277 intermodal units, down 11.8 percent compared with the same week in 2022. For the first 40 weeks of 2023, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,344,008 carloads, containers and trailers, down 3.4 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 16,381 carloads for the week, down 10.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,901 intermodal units, down 15.4 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 40 weeks of 2023 was 1,118,795 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.4 percent from the same point last year.
To view the traffic charts, click here.
