WASHINGTON — Rail traffic continues to lag behind 2021 levels in the early stages of 2022, according to weekly statistics from the Association of American Railroads.
For the week ending Jan. 22, 2022, overall U.S. rail volume was 477,462 carloads and intermodal units, a 9.8% drop from the same week in 2021. Through three weeks of the new year, overall traffic is down 10.8%, after weekly decreases of 16%, 6.6%, and 9.8%.
Figures for the latest week include 223,395 carloads, a drop of 3.3%, and 254,067 containers and trailers, a 14.8% decrease compared to the corresponding week in 2021. Traffic was down in seven of 10 carload commodities, with chemicals (up 5.9%), coal (4.3%) and non-metallic minerals (0.5%) showing the only increases.
The three-week totals include a 15.7% decrease in intermodal traffic and a 4.5% drop in carloads.
North American totals for the week ending Jan. 22, for 12 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads, include 313,395 carloads, down 6.6%, and 330,983 intermodal units, down 15%. The combined 644,378 carloads and intermodal units represents an 11.2% decrease. Through the first three weeks of 2022, overall North American volume is down 12.4% compared to 2021.
