North American rail traffic down 3.6% for the week ending April 15

The Association of American Railroads, AAR reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 15. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 468,197 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.4%t compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending April 15 were 234,066 carloads, up 5.8% compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 234,131 containers and trailers, down 12.8% compared to 2022. Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2022. They included nonmetallic minerals, up 3,445 carloads, to 33,677; motor vehicles and parts, up 2,408 carloads, to 14,871; and metallic ores and metals, up 2,195 carloads, to 22,835. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2022 were miscellaneous carloads, down 668 carloads, to 8,714; and forest products, down 272 carloads, to 9,311. North American rail volume for the week ending April 15, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 339,933 carloads, up 6% compared with the same week last year, and 311,134 intermodal units, down 12.3% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 651,067 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.6%. North American rail volume for the first 15 weeks of 2023 was 9,601,378 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.9% 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), Trinity Industries (TRN), Greenbrier (GBX). FreightCar America (RAIL) and Wabtec (WAB).