Home » Weekly U.S. rail traffic still down, but by less

Weekly U.S. rail traffic still down, but by less

By Trains Staff | July 20, 2023

| Last updated on February 4, 2024


Drop from 2022 levels is smallest since February

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

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%.

Share this article