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AAR reports US and North American rail traffic for February

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Dry Bulk,


The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported the US and North American rail traffic for the week ending 25 February 2023, as well as volumes for February 2023.

US February 2023 volumes

US railroads originated 905 744 carloads in February 2023, down 1.6%, or 15 101 carloads, from February 2022. US railroads also originated 943 979 containers and trailers in February 2023, down 8.4%, or 86 351 units, from the same month last year. Combined US carload and intermodal originations in February 2023 were 1 849 723, down 5.2%, or 101 452 carloads and intermodal units from February 2022.

In February 2023, eight of the 20 carload commodity categories tracked by the AAR each month saw carload gains compared with February 2022. These included: crushed stone, sand and gravel, up 8821 carloads or 13.1%; petroleum and petroleum products, up 5833 carloads or 15.8%; and motor vehicles and parts, up 4389 carloads or 8.9%. Commodities that saw declines in February 2023 from February 2022 included: coal, down 16 648 carloads or 6.1%; grain, down 9227 carloads or 9.7%; and chemicals, down 6298 carloads or 4.6%.

“Coal, chemicals, and grain together account for more than half of all non-intermodal US rail volume. When all three are down, like they were in February, it’s very hard for total carloads not to be down too,” said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray. “On the positive side, several commodities including crushed stone and sand, petroleum products, steel products, grain mill, and food products showed very strong performances.”

Excluding coal, carloads were up 1547 carloads, or 0.2%, in February 2023 from February 2022. Excluding coal and grain, carloads were up 10 774 carloads, or 2.0%.

Total US carload traffic for the first two months of 2023 was 1 829 440 carloads, up 0.3%, or 4726 carloads, from the same period last year; and 1 863 907 intermodal units, down 8.3%, or 167 794 containers and trailers, from last year.

Total combined US traffic for the first eight weeks of 2023 was 3 693 347 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 4.2% compared to last year.

North American volumes for week ending 25 February 2023

Total US weekly rail traffic was 459 233 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.9% compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending 25 February were 226 435 carloads, up 0.1% compared with the same week in 2022, while US weekly intermodal volume was 232 798 containers and trailers, down 11.1% compared to 2022.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2022. They included non-metallic minerals, up 2978 carloads, to 30 142; petroleum and petroleum products, up 1890 carloads, to 10 629; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 1385 carloads, to 17 267. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2022 included coal, down 2971 carloads, to 64 218; chemicals, down 1711 carloads, to 32 234; and grain, down 1700 carloads, to 20 511.

North American rail volume for the week ending 25 February 2023, on 12 reporting US, Canadian, and Mexican railroads totalled 327 221 carloads, up 2.9% compared with the same week last year, and 308 029 intermodal units, down 9.3% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 635 250 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.4%. North American rail volume for the first eight weeks of 2023 was 5 096 524 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.3% compared with 2022.

Canadian railroads reported 75 994 carloads for the week, up 7.9%, and 59 210 intermodal units, down 3.6% compared with the same week in 2022. For the first eight weeks of 2023, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1 111 310 carloads, containers and trailers, up 4.5%.

Mexican railroads reported 24 792 carloads for the week, up 16.2% compared with the same week last year, and 16 021 intermodal units, down 0.7%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first eight weeks of 2023 was 291 867 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 1.7% from the same point last year.

Read the article online at: https://www.drybulkmagazine.com/dry-bulk/09032023/aar-reports-us-and-north-american-rail-traffic-for-february/

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