The Association of American Railroads has reported US rail traffic for the week ending 27 April 2024, as well as overall volumes for April 2024.
US railroads originated 848 882 carloads in April 2024, down 6.5%, or 58 751 carloads, from April 2023. US railroads also originated 1 018 569 containers and trailers in April 2024, up 8.6%, or 80 471 units, from the same month in 2023. Combined US carload and intermodal originations in April 2024 were 1 867 451, up 1.2%, or 21 720 carloads and intermodal units from April 2023.
In April 2024, nine of the 20 carload commodity categories tracked by the AAR each month saw carload gains compared with April 2023. These included: motor vehicles & parts, up 7191 carloads or 12.1%; petroleum & petroleum products, up 4967 carloads or 13.8%; and chemicals, up 3686 carloads or 2.9%. Commodities that saw declines in April 2024 from April 2023 included: coal, down 71 885 carloads or 28.0%; metallic ores, down 4113 carloads or 16.9%; and crushed stone, sand & gravel, down 3856 carloads or 4.4%.
“US rail carloads declined in April primarily due to decreased coal shipments,” said Rand Ghayad, Chief Economist at the Association of American Railroads. “Excluding coal, year-over-year carload volumes have experienced a three-month consecutive increase. In April, out of the 20 carload categories monitored, nine showed growth, with several experiencing marginal declines. Additionally, sustained consumer spending and heightened port activity contributed to the eighth consecutive year-over-year rise in intermodal traffic for April.”
Excluding coal, carloads were up 13 134 carloads, or 2.0%, in April 2024 from April 2023. Excluding coal and grain, carloads were up 9 541 carloads, or 1.7%.
Total US carload traffic for the first four months of 2024 was 3 622 709 carloads, down 4.8%, or 180 839 carloads, from the same period in 2023; and 4 287 216 intermodal units, up 9.0%, or 352 709 containers and trailers, from 2023.
Total combined US traffic for the first 17 weeks of 2024 was 7 909 925 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 2.2% compared to 2023.
Week ending 27 April 2024
Total US weekly rail traffic was 476 302 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.7% compared with the same week in 2023.
Total carloads for the week ending 27 April were 214 414 carloads, down 6.4% compared with the same week in 2023, while US weekly intermodal volume was 261 888 containers and trailers, up 7.5% compared to 2023.
Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included motor vehicles and parts, up 1552 carloads, to 17 067; chemicals, up 1227 carloads, to 33 800; and nonmetallic minerals, up 953 carloads, to 34 184. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 were coal, down 18 156 carloads, to 45 832; metallic ores and metals, down 1557 carloads, to 20 117; and forest products, down 80 carloads, to 8341.
North American rail volume for the week ending 27 April 2024, on 10 reporting US, Canadian and Mexican railroads totalled 325 396 carloads, down 5.3% compared with the same week in 2023, and 350 692 intermodal units, up 6.6% compared with 2023. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 676 088 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.5%. North American rail volume for the first 17 weeks of 2024 was 11 142 754 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.0% compared with 2023.
Canadian railroads reported 93 258 carloads for the week, down 3.6%, and 75 832 intermodal units, up 5.2% compared with the same week in 2023. For the first 17 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2 725 737 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.3%.
Mexican railroads reported 17 724 carloads for the week, down 0.8% compared with the same week last year, and 12 972 intermodal units, down 1.1%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 17 weeks of 2024 was 507 092 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 8.4% from the same point in 2023.
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