North American rail traffic up 0.5% for the week ending October 7

The Association of American Railroads or AAR, reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending October 7. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 499,217 carloads and intermodal units, up 3% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending October 7 were 233,768 carloads, up 3.6% compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 265,449 containers and trailers, up 2.5% compared to 2022. Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2022. They included motor vehicles and parts, up 2,618 carloads, to 16,495; grain, up 1,403 carloads, to 23,235; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,326 carloads, to 10,139. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2022 were miscellaneous carloads, down 440 carloads, to 8,745; farm products excl. grain, and food, down 124 carloads, to 16,461; and forest products, down 1 carloads, to 7,937. North American rail volume for the week ending October 7 on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 346,637 carloads, up 2.6% compared with the same week last year, and 349,627 intermodal units, down 1.5% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 696,264 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.5%. 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), Wabtec (WAB) and Rail Vision (RVSN).