U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes see annual declines, for week ending May 7, reports AAR

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes, for the week ending May 7, saw annual declines, according to data this week issued by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Rail carloads—at 231,737—fell 1.9% annually, trailing the week ending April 30, at 232,972, and topping the week ending April 23, at 229,044.

AAR reported that three of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including: motor vehicles and parts, up 3,071 carloads, to 14,400; nonmetallic minerals, up 1,671 carloads, to 33,952; and coal, up 522 carloads, to 63,281. Commodity groups with annual declines included: metallic ores and metals, down 4,195 carloads, to 19,315; grain, down 2,813 carloads, to 22,402; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 1,177 carloads, to 8,940.

Intermodal containers and trailers came in at 273,190 units, decreasing 4.9% annually, trailing the week ending April 30, at 273,727, and topping the week ending April 23, at 268,967.

Through the first 18 weeks of 2022, U.S. rail carloads—at 4,138,700—eked out a 1% annual gain, and intermodal units—at 4,726,239—were down 7% annually.

North American rail volume for the week ending May 7, 2022, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 329,158 carloads, down 0.5% compared with the same week last year, and 367,244 intermodal units, down 3.1% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 696,402 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.9%. North American rail volume for the first 18 weeks of 2022 was 12,078,231 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.9% compared with 2021.