U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes see declines, for week ending September 24, reports AAR

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes, for the week ending September 24, saw annual declines, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Rail carloads—at 231,258—were down 3.2% annually, trailing the week ending September 17, at 239,528, and topping the week ending September 10, at 223,384.

AAR said that three of the 10 carload commodities it tracks saw annual gains, including: motor vehicles and parts, up 1,610 carloads, to 13,165; coal, up 819 carloads, to 70,697; and nonmetallic minerals, up 372 carloads, to 34,436. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2021 included metallic ores and metals, down 3,405 carloads, to 20,708; grain, down 2,276 carloads, to 19,540; and chemicals, down 1,758 carloads, to 30,261.

Intermodal containers and trailers—at 257,853 units—were off 5.4% annually, topping the weeks ending September 17 and September 10, at 251,126, and 240,877, respectively.

On a year-to-date basis through the first 38 weeks of 2022, AAR reported that U.S. rail carloads—at 8,784,882—eked out a 0.2% annual gain, and intermodal units—at 9,998,106—are down 5.1%.

North American rail volume for the week ending September 24, 2022, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 333,265 carloads, down 1.3% compared with the same week last year, and 342,019 intermodal units, down 4.3% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 675,284 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.8%. North American rail volume for the first 38 weeks of 2022 was 25,700,318 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.4% compared with 2021.