North American rail traffic down 3.1% for the week ending August 19

The Association of American Railroads or AAR, reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 19. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 478,853 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.7% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending August 19 were 228,972 carloads, down 0.6% compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 249,881 containers and trailers, down 4.6% compared to 2022. Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2022. They included motor vehicles and parts, up 2,326 carloads, to 16,293; coal, up 1,486 carloads, to 69,773; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 781 carloads, to 9,420. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2022 included grain, down 3,541 carloads, to 15,796; forest products, down 1,289 carloads, to 7,683; and farm products excl. grain, and food, down 1,011 carloads, to 15,638. North American rail volume for the week ending August 19, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 335,400 carloads, up 0.9% compared with the same week last year, and 329,819 intermodal units, down 6.8% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 665,219 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.1%. North American rail volume for the first 33 weeks of 2023 was 21,354,794 carloads and intermodal units, down 4% compared with 2022. Publicly traded companies in the space include CSX (CSX), Canadian National (CNI), Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CP), Kansas City Southern (KSU), Norfolk Southern (NSC), Union Pacific (UNP), (GBX),Trinity Industries (TRN), FreightCar America (RAIL), Wabtec (WAB) and Rail Vision (RVSN).