Rail traffic tumbles 7.5% in week ending March 25, 2023

(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, March 29, 2023)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 25, 2023.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 469,958 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.5 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending March 25 were 236,526 carloads, down 0.2 percent compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 233,432 containers and trailers, down 13.9 percent compared to 2022.

Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2022. They included petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,889 carloads, to 10,524; metallic ores and metals, up 1,321 carloads, to 21,807; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 986 carloads, to 17,668. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2022 included grain, down 2,650 carloads, to 19,889; coal, down 1,737 carloads, to 68,248; and chemicals, down 1,200 carloads, to 33,050.

For the first 12 weeks of 2023, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,760,079 carloads, down 0.3 percent from the same point last year; and 2,789,546 intermodal units, down 10.0 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 12 weeks of 2023 was 5,549,625 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 5.4 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending March 25, 2023, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 342,431 carloads, up 2.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 309,347 intermodal units, down 11.9 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 651,778 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.8 percent. North American rail volume for the first 12 weeks of 2023 was 7,665,257 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.4 percent compared with 2022.

Canadian railroads reported 83,120 carloads for the week, up 9.6 percent, and 62,661 intermodal units, down 4.2 percent compared with the same week in 2022. For the first 12 weeks of 2023, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,673,092 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2.8 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 22,785 carloads for the week, up 11.0 percent compared with the same week last year, and 13,254 intermodal units, down 9.2 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 12 weeks of 2023 was 442,540 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 0.8 percent from the same point last year.