For the week ending Feb. 12, 2022, U.S. rail traffic was up 5% over the same week last year; total carloads came in 11.9% higher while intermodal volume continued its downward trend, dipping 0.4%, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) Feb. 16 report.
On March 15-16, the Surface Transportation Board, more than a year after emerging from a long period of public-near-silence following the election of Joe Biden as President of the United States, will hold a hearing (STB Ex Parte No. 711, Sub-No. 1) on reciprocal (“forced”) switching, a subject upon which freight railroads and many of their major customers have been deeply divided for a very long time.
U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Feb. 5, 2022 was 458,152 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.6% compared with the same week last year, based on 218,286 carloads—down 3.6%—and intermodal volume of 239,866 containers and trailers—down 11%, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on Feb. 9.
“For most traffic categories, U.S. rail volumes this January were down compared to last year,” Association of American Railroads Senior Vice President John T. Gray reported on Feb. 2; total carloads for the month dipped 3% from 2021 and intermodal units dropped 14.6%, according to AAR figures.
The Surface Transportation Board on Jan. 28 issued a decision denying a request from the Association of American Railroads to extend the procedural schedule in Docket No. EP 711 (Sub-No. 1) et al., Reciprocal Switching; regarding the Board’s NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking) on reciprocal switching regulations. “All procedural dates remain unchanged, including those for the public hearing beginning on March 15, 2022,” STB said.
For the week ending Jan. 22, 2022, U.S. Class I railroads hauled 223,395 carloads and 254,067 containers and trailers, a decline of 3.3% and 14.8%, respectively, from the prior-year period, the Association of American Railroads reported on Jan. 26.
Total U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Jan. 15, 2022 was 493,617 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.6% from the same point last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on Jan. 19; it is the second consecutive week that traffic has dropped.
U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Jan. 8, 2022, came in at 440,761 carloads and intermodal units, dropping 16% from the same week last year, based on 210,020 carloads—down 10.6% from 2021—and intermodal volume of 230,741 containers and trailers—down 20.4%, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on Jan. 12.
In 2021, U.S. intermodal’s “record-setting” first half gave way to a lower second half as supply chain challenges persisted, reported Association of American Railroads Senior Vice President John T. Gray on Jan. 5; December volumes continued the downward trend, coming in 8.2% lower than the prior-year period, according to AAR figures.
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has hired Paul Hedrick to succeed Jeffrey D. Marsh as Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer.