WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic in June was down 3.2% from 2021 levels, providing mixed indicators about the state of the nation’s economy, according to the Association of American Railroads.
The June figure included a 1.5% decline in carload traffic and a 4.6% drop in intermodal units.
“As conjecture grows about the direction of the U.S. economy, June rail traffic doesn’t offer definitive answers on whether a recession is looming or not,” AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray said in a press release. “Like many other economic indicators today, rail traffic is a mix of red, yellow, and green, with some traffic lines, such as automotive, providing generally positive indicators while others, such as chemicals, being a bit more subdued than they were earlier in the year.”
Year-to-date totals show carload traffic down 0.1% from the first six months of 2021, while intermodal traffic is down 6.2%, with total traffic through 26 weeks showing a 3.5% decline.
Weekly figures also down
U.S. traffic figures for the week ending July 2 include 234,561 carloads, a 1% decline from the corresponding week in 2021, and 265,724 containers and trailers, now 3.7%. The total of 500,285 carloads and intermodal units represents a 2.5% decline. Six of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR showed declines.
North American totals for the week, from 12 U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads, include 330,619 carloads, down 0.4% from the same week a year earlier; 350,823 intermodal units, down 1.5%, and a total of 681,442 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.9%.
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