(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, April 27, 2022)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 23, 2022.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 498,011 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.4 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending April 23 were 229,044 carloads, down 4.5 percent compared with the same week in 2021, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 268,967 containers and trailers, down 9.8 percent compared to 2021.
Two of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2021. They were motor vehicles and parts, up 1,939 carloads, to 13,250; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 655 carloads, to 16,260. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2021 included coal, down 6,010 carloads, to 57,894; grain, down 2,351 carloads, to 23,106; and metallic ores and metals, down 1,959 carloads, to 22,259.
For the first 16 weeks of 2022, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,673,871 carloads, up 1.4 percent from the same point last year; and 4,179,322 intermodal units, down 7 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 16 weeks of 2022 was 7,853,193 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 3.2 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending April 23, 2022, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 328,525 carloads, down 3.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 357,139 intermodal units, down 7.8 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 685,664 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.8 percent. North American rail volume for the first 16 weeks of 2022 was 10,673,122 carloads and intermodal units, down 4 percent compared with 2021.
Canadian railroads reported 77,262 carloads for the week, down 1 percent, and 71,986 intermodal units, up 1 percent compared with the same week in 2021. For the first 16 weeks of 2022, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,232,551 carloads, containers and trailers, down 8 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 22,219 carloads for the week, down 1.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 16,186 intermodal units, down 9.3 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 16 weeks of 2022 was 587,378 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 1 percent from the same point last year.