North American rail traffic down 4.3% for the week ending December 31

The Association of American Railroads, AAR, reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending December 31.Total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 365,553 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.8% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending December 31 were 179,992 carloads, down 12.5% compared with the same week in 2021, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 185,561 containers and trailers, down 0.5% compared to 2021. One of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2021. It was motor vehicles and parts, up 466 carloads, to 9,418. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2021 included chemicals, down 7,190 carloads, to 25,174; coal, down 6,330 carloads, to 52,863; and nonmetallic minerals, down 3,248 carloads, to 19,853. North American rail volume for the week ending December 31, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 256,632 carloads, down 8% compared with the same week last year, and 244,189 intermodal units, down 0.1% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 500,821 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.3%. Publicly traded companies in the space include CSX (CSX), Canadian National (CNI), Canadian Pacific (CP), Kansas City Southern (KSU), Norfolk Southern (NSC), Union Pacific (UNP), Trinity Industries (TRN), Greenbrier (GBX), FreightCar America (RAIL) and Wabtec (WAB). Reference Link