The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending December 2, 2023, as well as volumes for November 2023.
U.S. railroads originated 1,128,573 carloads in November 2023, down 0.0 percent, or 102 carloads, from November 2022. U.S. railroads also originated 1,279,906 containers and trailers in November 2023, up 5.0 percent, or 60,486 units, from the same month last year. Combined U.S. carload and intermodal originations in November 2023 were 2,408,479, up 2.6 percent, or 60,384 carloads and intermodal units from November 2022.

In November 2023, 12 of the 20 carload commodity categories tracked by the AAR each month saw carload gains compared with November 2022. These included: chemicals, up 8,322 carloads or 5.7 percent; motor vehicles & parts, up 4,611 carloads or 6.6 percent; and petroleum & petroleum products, up 4,510 carloads or 10.1 percent. Commodities that saw declines in November 2023 from November 2022 included: crushed stone, sand & gravel, down 8,052 carloads or 8.0 percent; all other carloads, down 6,851 carloads or 25.6 percent; and grain, down 6,290 carloads or 5.4 percent.

“U.S. intermodal volume rose 5.0% in November, its third straight year-over-year gain after 18 straight declines and the biggest year-over-year percentage gain for intermodal in 29 months. Overall, the last week of November had the highest carload plus intermodal volumes in two years,” said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray. “Much will depend on how the broader economy continues to evolve, but railroads are hopeful November will provide much-needed momentum for the rest of 2023 and into 2024.”

Excluding coal, carloads were down 1,059 carloads, or 0.1 percent, in November 2023 from November 2022. Excluding coal and grain, carloads were up 5,231 carloads, or 0.8 percent.
Total U.S. carload traffic for the first 11 months of 2023 was 10,824,994 carloads, up 0.2 percent, or 21,700 carloads, from the same period last year; and 11,684,971 intermodal units, down 6.0 percent, or 748,046 containers and trailers, from last year.

Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 48 weeks of 2023 was 22,509,965 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 3.1 percent compared to last year.

Week Ending December 2, 2023

Total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 509,626 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.9 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending December 2 were 237,049 carloads, up 1.4 percent compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 272,577 containers and trailers, up 8.2 percent compared to 2022.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2022. They included chemicals, up 6,869 carloads, to 33,692; petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,401 carloads, to 10,902; and motor vehicles and parts, up 1,168 carloads, to 16,209. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2022 included nonmetallic minerals, down 3,167 carloads, to 29,043; miscellaneous carloads, down 1,740 carloads, to 7,600; and grain, down 1,276 carloads, to 23,425. 

North American rail volume for the week ending December 2, 2023, on 10 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 351,272 carloads, up 2.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 356,459 intermodal units, up 6.9 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 707,731 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.6 percent. North American rail volume for the first 48 weeks of 2023 was 31,531,507 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.8 percent compared with 2022.

Canadian railroads reported 97,615 carloads for the week, up 3.2 percent, and 71,079 intermodal units, up 0.1 percent compared with the same week in 2022. For the first 48 weeks of 2023, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 7,669,482 carloads, containers and trailers, down 3.2 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 16,608 carloads for the week, up 12.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 12,803 intermodal units, up 21.2 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 48 weeks of 2023 was 1,352,060 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 4.6 percent from the same point last year.