US carload volumes up, intermodal down in Week 16

U.S. railroads' carload volume climbed 5.1% to 240,584 units, but intermodal volume fell 10.8% to 239,873 containers and trailers in the week ending April 22 compared with the same week a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads data.

With intermodal traffic continuing its downward trend, combined U.S. rail volume dipped 3.5% for the week.

Six of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks every week posted increases. They included coal, up 19%; motor vehicles and parts, 10.5%;  and metallic ores and metals, 3.6%.

Commodity groups that logged decreases included grain, down 4.5%; forest products, -9.1%; and chemicals, -1.5%.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads logged 81,037 carloads for the week, up 4.4%, and 64,915 intermodal units, down 9.5%. Mexican railroads posted 24,391 carloads, up 6.2%, and 16,203 intermodal units, down 4.8%.

For the first 16 weeks of 2023 compared with the same period in 2022:

• U.S. railroads reported 7,417,045 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.6%;

• Canadian railroads reported 2,243,938 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.5%; and

• Mexican railroads reported 607,398 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.4%.