AAR: Carloads Up, Intermodal Down for Week Ending April 22

For the week ending April 22, 2023, carloads came in at 240,584—a 5.1% increase from the same week last year—and intermodal volume was 239,873 containers and trailers—a 10.8% decrease from last year, the AAR reported on April 26. Total rail traffic was 480,457 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.5% compared with the prior-year period.

For the week ending April 15, 2023, carloads reached 234,066—up 5.8% from the same week last year—and intermodal volume was 234,131 containers and trailers—down 12.8%. Total rail traffic was 468,197 carloads and intermodal units, a 4.4% fall-off from the same point in 2022.

The last time carloads saw an uptick was during the week ending Feb. 25.

According to AAR, six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase for the week ending April 22, 2023, compared with the same week in 2022. They included coal, up 10,985 carloads, to 68,879; motor vehicles and parts, up 1,396 carloads, to 14,643; and metallic ores and metals, up 812 carloads, to 23,062. Commodity groups that posted declines included grain, down 1,034 carloads, to 22,013; forest products, down 886 carloads, to 8,875; and chemicals, down 505 carloads, to 34,298.

For the first 16 weeks of 2023, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,693,811 carloads, up 0.5% from the same point last year; and 3,723,234 intermodal units, down 10.9% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 16 weeks of 2023 was 7,417,045 carloads and intermodal units, a 5.6% drop-off compared with last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending April 22, 2023, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 346,012 carloads, up 5.0% compared with the same week last year, and 320,991 intermodal units, down 10.3% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 667,003 carloads and intermodal units, dipping 3.0%. North American rail volume for the first 16 weeks of 2023 was 10,268,381 carloads and intermodal units, falling 3.8% compared with 2022.

Canadian railroads reported 81,037 carloads for the week, up 4.4%, and 64,915 intermodal units, down 9.5% compared with the same week in 2022. For the first 16 weeks of 2023, they reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,243,938 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.5%.

Mexican railroads reported 24,391 carloads for the week, up 6.2% vs. the same week last year, and 16,203 intermodal units, down 4.8%. Their cumulative volume for the first 16 weeks of 2023 was 607,398 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.4% from the same point last year.