AAR reports rail traffic for October

October 2022

US railroads originated 952 074 carloads in October 2022, up 0.5%, or 5121 carloads, from October 2021. US railroads also originated 1 062 422 containers and trailers in October 2022, down 1.4%, or 15 095 units, from the same month last year. Combined US carload and intermodal originations in October 2022 were 2 014 496, down 0.5%, or 9974 carloads and intermodal units from October 2021.

In October 2022, seven of the 20 carload commodity categories tracked by the AAR each month saw carload gains compared with October 2021. These included: coal, up 14 937 carloads or 5.8%; crushed stone, sand & gravel, up 8615 carloads or 10.7%; and motor vehicles & parts, up 5998 carloads or 11.4%. Commodities that saw declines in October 2022 from October 2021 included: chemicals, down 6195 carloads or 4.8%; primary metal products, down 4645 carloads or 13.2%; and all other carloads, down 4209 carloads or 16.8%.

“October is usually one of the highest-volume months of the year for rail carloads, and it’s the top month so far this year,” said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray. “Carloads of grain surged upward as US producers sought alternatives to the Mississippi River constraints while motor vehicles had one of their better months since pre-pandemic times. Carloads of chemicals were down in part because of high natural gas feedstock prices. US intermodal volumes remained subdued in October thanks largely to high inventories at many retailers, lower port volumes and still-scarce warehouse capacity for many rail intermodal customers.”

Excluding coal, carloads were down 9816 carloads, or 1.4%, in October 2022 from October 2021. Excluding coal and grain, carloads were down 8950 carloads, or 1.5%.

Total US carload traffic for the first 10 months of 2022 was 9 971 376 carloads, up 0.1%, or 14 912 carloads, from the same period last year; and 11 321 976 intermodal units, down 4.8%, or 567 366 containers and trailers, from last year.

Total combined US traffic for the first 43 weeks of 2022 was 21 293 352 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 2.5% compared to last year.

Week ending 29 October 2022

Total US weekly rail traffic was 514 457 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.8% compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending 29 October were 244 425 carloads, up 2.6% compared with the same week in 2021, while US weekly intermodal volume was 270 032 containers and trailers, down 0.7% compared to 2021.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2021. They included coal, up 4036 carloads, to 70 984; non-metallic minerals, up 3631 carloads, to 34 438; and motor vehicles and parts, up 2365 carloads, to 15 002. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2021 included chemicals, down 2147 carloads, to 31 092; metallic ores and metals, down 1916 carloads, to 22 108; and forest products, down 805 carloads, to 8908.

North American rail volume for the week ending 29 October 2022, on 12 reporting US, Canadian, and Mexican railroads totalled 347 651 carloads, up 2.2% compared with the same week last year, and 355 130 intermodal units, down 0.9% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 702 781 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.6%. North American rail volume for the first 43 weeks of 2022 was 29 189 693 carloads and intermodal units, down 2% compared with 2021.

Canadian railroads reported 80 084 carloads for the week, up 0.4%, and 67 951 intermodal units, down 2.3% compared with the same week in 2021. For the first 43 weeks of 2022, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6 270 727 carloads, containers and trailers, down 1.8%.

Mexican railroads reported 23 142 carloads for the week, up 4.7% compared with the same week last year, and 17 147 intermodal units, up 1.8%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 43 weeks of 2022 was 1 625 614 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.9% from the same point last year.

Read the article online at: https://www.drybulkmagazine.com/rail-barge/03112022/aar-reports-rail-traffic-for-october/