WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic showed its smallest single-week drop since February in the week ending July 15, with traffic down 2.4% compared to the same week in 2022.
Total volume was 478,153 carloads and intermodal units. The 225,609 carloads were an increase of 0.9%, while the 252,544 containers and trailers represented at 5.3% decline.
The 2.4% figure was the smallest single-week decline since the week of Feb. 4, when traffic was down just 1.9%.
Year-to-date totals, through 28 weeks of 2023, show carload traffic up 0.5% and intermodal volume down 10% for an overall decline of 5.2%.
North American volume for the week ending July 15, on 12 U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads, included 329,965 carloads, up 0.9%, and 313,660 intermodal units, down 12%. Overall traffic is down 5.8%. The intermodal figure continues to reflect the impact of Canada’s port strike; Canadian intermodal volume for the week was down 36.2%.
Year-to-date North American totals have traffic down 4.2%.
