U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes see annual declines, for week of April 23, reports AAR

United States freight railroad and intermodal traffic, for the week of April 23, saw annual declines, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Rail carloads—at 229,044—fell 4.5% annually, topping the week ending April 16t, at 221,228, and trailing the week ending April 9, at 236,459.

AAR said that two of the 10 carload commodity it tracks saw annual gains, including: 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.

Intermodal containers and trailers—at 268,967—were down 9.8% annually, topping the week ending April 16, at 269,573, and trailing the week ending April 9, at 271,884.

Through the first 16 weeks of 2022, U.S. rail carloads—at 3,673,871—are up 1.4% compared to the same period a year ago. And intermodal units—at 4,179,322—are down 7%.

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.