U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes are mixed, for week ending September 17, reports AAR

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes, for the week ending September 17, were mixed, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Rail carloads—at 239,528—saw a 2% annual increase, topping the week ending September 10, at 223,384, and trailing the week ending September 3, at 241,131.

AAR said that five of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including: coal, up 3,948 carloads, to 72,774; nonmetallic minerals, up 2,491 carloads, to 35,163; and motor vehicles and parts, up 2,185 carloads, to 13,879. Commodity groups with annual declines included: metallic ores and metals, down 3,192 carloads, to 21,581; miscellaneous carloads, down 1,623 carloads, to 8,250; and forest products, down 1,362 carloads, to 9,076.

Intermodal containers and trailers—at 251,126—fell 7.3% annually, topping the week ending September 10, at 240,877, and trailing the week ending September 3, at 271,656,

Through the first 37 weeks of 2022, AAR reported that U.S. carloads—at 8,553,624—eked out a 0.3% annual gain, and intermodal units—at 9,740,253—are down 5.1% annually.  

North American rail volume for the week ending September 17, 2022, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 342,034 carloads, up 3.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 341,595 intermodal units, down 4.7 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 683,629 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.8 percent. North American rail volume for the first 37 weeks of 2022 was 25,025,034 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.4 percent compared with 2021.