Overview: In May, U.S. railroads saw a 1% increase in total traffic compared to May 2023, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
Traffic Data:
- Total Haulage: 2,342,049 carloads, containers, and trailers.
- Carloads: 1,060,801, a 6% decrease.
- Containers and Trailers: 1,281,248, a 7.6% increase.
Commodity Performance:
- Increases:
- Petroleum and petroleum products: up 15.4%
- Chemicals: up 3.2%
- Grain: up 4.7%
- Decreases:
- Coal: down 22%
- Crushed stone, sand, and gravel: down 11.4%
- Primary metal products: down 7.2%
Economic Insights:
- Mixed Signals: AAR Chief Economist Rand Ghayad highlighted mixed signals in rail traffic data.
- Coal Decline: Coal's ongoing decline led to a decrease in total carloads.
- Excluding Coal: Carloads (excluding coal) increased for the fourth consecutive month.
Intermodal Traffic:
- Intermodal traffic spiked, reflecting increased port activity and efforts by railroads to remain competitive.
Gains in Specific Commodities:
- Petroleum products, chemicals, and grain categories posted solid gains in May.