AAR releases weekly rail traffic update

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2022. They included non-metallic minerals, up 5895 carloads, to 31 264; coal, up 2454 carloads, to 68 675; and motor vehicles and parts, up 2321 carloads, to 13 166. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2022 included chemicals, down 2891 carloads, to 31 038; grain, down 1262 carloads, to 22 015; and forest products, down 799 carloads, to 9065.

For the first three weeks of 2023, US railroads reported cumulative volume of 687 678 carloads, up 3.0% from the same point last year; and 682 296 intermodal units, down 8.4% from last year. Total combined US traffic for the first three weeks of 2023 was 1 369 974 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 3.0% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending 21 January 2023, on 12 reporting US, Canadian and Mexican railroads totalled 336 113 carloads, up 6.8% compared with the same week last year, and 309 502 intermodal units, down 6.7% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 645 615 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.1%. North American rail volume for the first three weeks of 2023 was 1 893 180 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.5% compared with 2022.

Canadian railroads reported 82 940 carloads for the week, up 20.2%, and 56 839 intermodal units, down 7.9% compared with the same week in 2022. For the first three weeks of 2023, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 413 325 carloads, containers and trailers, up 8.7%.

Mexican railroads reported 22 628 carloads for the week, up 0.7% compared with the same week last year, and 15 723 intermodal units, down 1.1%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first three weeks of 2023 was 109 881 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 0.3% from the same point last year.

Read the article online at: https://www.drybulkmagazine.com/dry-bulk/26012023/aar-releases-weekly-rail-traffic-update/