News & Reviews News Wire Weekly U.S. rail traffic sees big drop

Weekly U.S. rail traffic sees big drop

By Trains Staff | December 22, 2022

| Last updated on February 7, 2024


Overall figure off 5.5%; intermodal down 7.5%

Email Newsletter

Get the newest photos, videos, stories, and more from Trains.com brands. Sign-up for email today!

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

WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic is heading toward the end of the year on a down note, with weekly volume down 5.5% from the same week in 2021, according to the latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads.

U.S. railroads moved 476,232 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Dec. 17. That includes 226,977 carloads, down 3.2% from the corresponding week a year ago, and 249,255 containers and trailers, down 7.5%.

Through 50 weeks of 2022, carload traffic is flat compared to a year ago, while intermodal traffic is down 4.9%, combining for an overall decrease of 2.7%.

North American totals for the week, from 12 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads, include 330,786 carloads, up 0.2%; 329,112 intermodal units, down 5.7%, and total volume of 659,898 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.9%. Year-to-date traffic is down 1.8% compared to 2021.

6 thoughts on “Weekly U.S. rail traffic sees big drop

  1. How much of this is the result of shipping companies changing port calls. Several I’ve read have been operating to Savannah, Charleston, New York/Newark, and several other ports.

You must login to submit a comment