Chemical railcar loads hit record numbers

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 2, 2022, as well as volumes for March 2022.

U.S. railroads originated 1,169,546 carloads in March 2022, up 1.2 percent, or 13,456 carloads, from March 2021. U.S. railroads also originated 1,338,138 containers and trailers in March 2022, down 6.4 percent, or 92,170 units, from the same month last year. Combined U.S. carload and intermodal originations in March 2022 were 2,507,684, down 3 percent, or 78,714 carloads and intermodal units from March 2021.

In March 2022, nine of the 20 carload commodity categories tracked by the AAR each month saw carload gains compared with March 2021. These included: chemicals, up 18,291 carloads or 11.7 percent; coal, up 16,637 carloads or 5.4 percent; and crushed stone, sand & gravel, up 7,974 carloads or 8.5 percent. Commodities that saw declines in March 2022 from March 2021 included: grain, down 13,839 carloads or 10.8 percent; petroleum & petroleum products, down 9,033 carloads or 16.5 percent; and all other carloads, down 4,459 carloads or 14.6 percent.

“March was another mixed month for U.S. rail volumes,” said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray. “It was the best month ever for carloads of chemicals while carloads of crushed stone and sand, food products, lumber and motor vehicles were higher than they’ve been in months. On the other hand, carloads of grain, petroleum products and paper products, among others, were down in March. These conflicting trends reflect an economy with a good deal of directional uncertainty; uncertainty that needs resolution before its full potential can be realized.”

Excluding coal, carloads were down 3,181 carloads, or 0.4 percent, in March 2022 from March 2021. Excluding coal and grain, carloads were up 10,658 carloads, or 1.5 percent.

Total U.S. carload traffic for the first three months of 2022 was 2,987,140 carloads, up 2.6 percent, or 76,120 carloads, from the same period last year; and 3,369,898 intermodal units, down 6.9 percent, or 249,672 containers and trailers, from last year.

Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 13 weeks of 2022 was 6,357,038 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 2.7 percent compared to last year.