U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes are down, for week ending September 10, reports AAR

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes, for the week ending September 10, saw annual declines, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Rail carloads—at 223,384—slipped 0.2% annually, trailing the weeks ending August 27 and September 3, at 242,633 and 241,131, respectively.

AAR said that five of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including: motor vehicles and parts, up 3,251 carloads, to 13,373; grain, up 1,495 carloads, to 18,214; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 720 carloads, to 15,695. Commodity groups posting annual declines included: metallic ores and metals, down 2,451 carloads, to 19,937; coal, down 2,432 carloads, to 67,492; and miscellaneous carloads, down 1,595 carloads, to 8,265.

Intermodal containers and trailers—at 240,877—decreased 1.7% annually, trailing the weeks ending August 27 and September 3, at 268,941 and 271,656, respectively.

Through the first 36 weeks of 2022, U.S. rail carloads—at 8,314,0906—are up 0.2% compared to the same period a year ago, and intermodal units—at 9,489,127—are down 5.1%.

North American rail volume for the week ending September 10, 2022, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 321,989 carloads, up 2% compared with the same week last year, and 323,856 intermodal units, up 1% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 645,845 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.5%. North American rail volume for the first 36 weeks of 2022 was 24,341,405 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.4% compared with 2021.