US intermodal traffic tumbles 5.5% in Week 25

U.S. rail traffic for the week ending June 24 totaled 469,453 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.2% compared with volumes during the same period a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Carloads for the week totaled 222,431, down 0.4%, while intermodal volume was 247,022 containers and trailers, down 5.5%.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups AAR tracks weekly posted increases. They included motor vehicles and parts, up 27%; metallic ores and metals, 8.3%; and miscellaneous carloads, 18.9%. Commodity groups posting decreases included grain, down 29%; chemicals, -4.9%; and farm products excluding grain, and food, -6.3%.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads posted 89,146 carloads for the week, up 1.4%, and 69,439 intermodal units, down 9.5%. Mexican railroads logged 16,849 carloads, up 20.9%, and 11,426 intermodal units, up 13.1%.

For the first 25 weeks of 2023 compared with the same period in 2022:
• U.S. railroads reported 11,482,887 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.4%;

• Canadian railroads handled 3,995,578 carloads, containers and trailers, down 1.2%; and

• Mexican railroads recorded 680,280 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2.3%.