U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes are mixed in November, reports AAR

United States November rail carload and intermodal volumes were flat-to-up, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Rail carloads, at 1,128,573, were down 0.0%, or a mere 102 carloads, said AAR, with 12 of the 20 carload commodity categories tracked by the AAR seeing annual gains, gains, including chemicals, up 8,322 carloads or 5.7%; motor vehicles & parts, up 4,611 carloads or 6.6%; and petroleum & petroleum products, up 4,510 carloads or 10.1%. Commodities that saw declines in November 2023 from November 2022 included: crushed stone, sand & gravel, down 8,052 carloads or 8.0%; all other carloads, down 6,851 carloads or 25.6%; and grain, down 6,290 carloads or 5.4%.

When excluding coal, carloads were down 1,059 carloads, or 0.1annually, and when excluding coal and grain, carloads were up 5,231 carloads, or 0.8%.

Intermodal containers and trailers, at 1,279,906, rose 5.0%, or 60,486 units, annually.

AAR said that combined U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes, at 2,408,479, increased 2.6%, or 60,384 carloads and intermodal units, compared to November 2022.

“U.S. intermodal volume rose 5.0% in November, its third straight year-over-year gain after 18 straight declines and the biggest year-over-year percentage gain for intermodal in 29 months.  Overall, the last week of November had the highest carload plus intermodal volumes in two years,” said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray in a statement. “Much will depend on how the broader economy continues to evolve, but railroads are hopeful November will provide much-needed momentum for the rest of 2023 and into 2024.”
Through the first 11 months of 2023, AAR reported that U.S. rail carloads, at 10,824,994, were up 0.2%, or 21,700 carloads, annually, and intermodal units, at 11,684,971, were down 6.0%, or 748,046 containers and trailers.

For the week of December 2, AAR reported that U.S. rail carloads, at 237,049, were up 1.4%, with intermodal units, at 272,577, rose 8.2%.