The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending December 24, 2022.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 400,289 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.8 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending December 24 were 193,195 carloads, down 4.1 percent compared with the same week in 2021, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 207,094 containers and trailers, down 5.5 percent compared to 2021.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2021. They included motor vehicles and parts, up 1,486 carloads, to 11,349; petroleum and petroleum products, up 892 carloads, to 9,599; and nonmetallic minerals, up 870 carloads, to 23,735. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2021 included coal, down 9,265 carloads, to 50,264; chemicals, down 1,069 carloads, to 29,505; and grain, down 997 carloads, to 18,198.

For the first 51 weeks of 2022, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 11,796,291 carloads, down 0.1 percent from the same point last year; and 13,266,919 intermodal units, down 4.9 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 51 weeks of 2022 was 25,063,210 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 2.7 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending December 24, 2022, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 278,859 carloads, down 3.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 268,287 intermodal units, down 6.7 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 547,146 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.1 percent. North American rail volume for the first 51 weeks of 2022 was 34,396,219 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.9 percent compared with 2021.

Canadian railroads reported 64,912 carloads for the week, down 8.3 percent, and 45,613 intermodal units, down 20.6 percent compared with the same week in 2021. For the first 51 weeks of 2022, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 7,409,978 carloads, containers and trailers, down 0.7 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 20,752 carloads for the week, up 25.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 15,580 intermodal units, up 41.6 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 51 weeks of 2022 was 1,923,031 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 4.3 percent from the same point last year.