Rail Freight Up 0.4% in August

U.S. Class I railroads handled 1,189,892 carloads in August 2022, a gain of 2.3 percent, or 27,040 carloads when compared with the same month in 2021.

Figures released by the Association of American Railroads showed that during August 2022 the railroads handled 1,335,618 containers and trailers, down 1.2 percent, or 15,856 units, from August 2021.

Combined U.S. carload and intermodal originations last month were 2,525,510, up 0.4 percent, or 11,184 carloads and intermodal units from August 2021.

Eleven of the 20 carload commodity categories tracked by the AAR saw carload gains compared with August 2021.

These included coal, up 17,468 carloads or 5.2 percent; grain, up 12,594 carloads or 14.1 percent; and crushed stone, sand and gravel, up 7,327 carloads or 7.1 percent.

Losing ground were primary metal products, down 6,711 carloads or 14.1 percent; all other carloads, down 4,914 carloads or 15.9 percent; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 3,410 carloads or 6.6 percent.

In a statement, AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray said there is reason to believe the nation’s economy is on track to stimulate continued improvements in rail volumes.

“To be sure, some traffic categories are doing better than others, just like some sectors of the economy are doing better than others,” Gray said. “Through additional hiring and continued investments, railroads are preparing themselves for growth.”

Tags: AAR freight statistics, Association of American Railroads, John Gray, U.S. freight traffic