WASHINGTON — Continuing the trend since the start of the year, U.S. rail traffic was down 3.9% in June, compared to the same month in 2022.
Weekly traffic, for the week ending July 1, was down 3.2%.
The latest figures from the Association of American Railroads show carload traffic was down 0.2% while intermodal traffic was down 7%. While traffic has been down every month in 2023 compared to 2022, the June figure is the smallest decline since January, when traffic was off 3.2%.
“Recent rail traffic patterns point to contrasts in the broader economy,” AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray said in a press release. “For example, rail intermodal is largely consumer goods, but recent spending on goods has cooled considerably and, with it, intermodal volumes. On the other hand, rail carloads of industrial products are performing much better, reflecting relative strength in the auto, mineral extraction, and other sectors.”
Year-to-date figures at the midpoint of 2023 show carload traffic up 0.6% while intermodal traffic is down 10.3%, for an overall decline of 5.3%.
Traffic for the week ending July 1
The weekly figure of 474,443 carloads and intermodal units includes 223,254 carloads, down 1.7% from the same week in 2022, and 251,189 trailers and containers, down 4.5%.
North American figures for the week, from 10 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads, includes 326,715 carloads, down 1.1% from the corresponding week in 2022, and 330,637 intermodal units, down 5.7%. The combined traffic of 657,352 carloads and intermodal units represents a 3.5% drop.
Through 26 weeks of 2023, overall North American traffic is down 4% compared to 2022.
