U.S. rail traffic remains above 2022 levels

U.S. rail traffic remains above 2022 levels

By Trains Staff | October 26, 2023

| Last updated on February 2, 2024


Weekly volume is up for sixth straight week

Weekly table showing U.S. carload rail traffic by commodity, plus overall intermodal volume.
Association of American Railroads

WASHINGTON — Weekly U.S. rail traffic was once again above 2022 figures for the week ending Oct. 21, with total volume up 1.8%, according to figures from the Association of American Railroads.

Traffic for the week was 505,985 carloads and intermodal units. That included 234,893 carloads, an increase of 1.5% from the corresponding week a year ago, and 271,092 containers and trailers, a rise of 2.1%. it was the sixth consecutive week of traffic increases compared to 2022, after a traffic decline for most of 2023.

Through 42 weeks, carload traffic is up 0.3% while intermodal units are down 7.4% for an overall drop of 3.8% compared to the same period in 2022.

The week’s North American traffic, from 12 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads, included 384,134 carloads, up 0.3%, and 355,428 intermodal units, down 0.1%, for an overall figure of 703,562 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.1% compaired to the same week a year ago. Year-to-date traffic after 42 weeks is down 3.5% compared to the same period in 2022.

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