The latest data on North American rail traffic from the Association of American Railroads (AAR) has shown a slight uptick in weekly rail traffic for the week ending 11 May 2024.
For the week, total US weekly rail traffic was 468 748 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.6% compared with the same week in 2024.
Total carloads for the week ending 11 May were 209 319 carloads, down 7.0% compared with the same week in 2023, while US weekly intermodal volume was 259 429 containers and trailers, up 7.7% compared to 2023.
Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included chemicals, up 1668 carloads, to 33 045; petroleum and petroleum products, up 1505 carloads, to 10 996; and miscellaneous carloads, up 1132 carloads, to 8639. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 included coal, down 16 549 carloads, to 46 715; nonmetallic minerals, down 2291 carloads, to 31 457; and grain, down 1610 carloads, to 17 226.
For the first 19 weeks of 2024, US railroads reported cumulative volume of 4438 carloads, down 4.9% from the same point in 2023; and 4 796 341 intermodal units, up 8.7% from 2023. Total combined US traffic for the first 19 weeks of 2024 was 8 841 779 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 2.0% compared to 2023.
North American rail volume for the week ending 11 May 2024, on 10 reporting US, Canadian and Mexican railroads totalled 321 482 carloads, down 2.6% compared with the same week in 2023, and 345 901 intermodal units, up 7.4% compared with 2023. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 667 383 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.3%. North American rail volume for the first 19 weeks of 2024 was 12 481 187 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.1% compared with 2023.
Canadian railroads reported 94 624 carloads for the week, up 5.1%, and 73 591 intermodal units, up 4.1% compared with the same week in 2023. For the first 19 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3 064 779 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.9%.
Mexican railroads reported 17 539 carloads for the week, up 15.8% compared with the same week in 2023, and 12 881 intermodal units, up 21.4%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 19 weeks of 2024 was 574 629 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 10.9% from the same point in 2023.
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