U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes see declines, for week ending February 5, reports AAR

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes, for the week ending February 5, saw annual declines, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Rail carloads—at 218,286—were down 3.6% annually trailing the weeks ending January 29 and January 22, at 235,203 and 223,395, respectively.

AAR said that two of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, with up 4,682 carloads, to 64,582 and chemicals, up 348 carloads, to 33,921.  

Commodity groups posting annual declines included motor vehicles and parts, down 4,614 carloads, to 10,432; grain, down 2,569 carloads, to 23,517; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 2,315 carloads, to 9,148.

Intermodal containers and trailers—at 239,866—dropped 11% annually, trailing the weeks ending January 29 and January 22, at 256,665 and 254,607, respectively.

Through the first five weeks of 2022, U.S. rail carloads—at 1,120,551—are down 3.1% annually and intermodal units—at 1,241,309—are down 14%.

North American rail volume for the week ending February 5, 2022, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 308,622 carloads, down 4.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 318,404 intermodal units, down 10.6 percent compared with last year, said AAR. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 627,026 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.6 percent. North American rail volume for the first five weeks of 2022 was 3,199,148 carloads and intermodal units, down 10 percent compared with 2021.