WASHINGTON — After two weeks in negative territory, U.S. weekly rail traffic barely edged into positive ground for the week ending Jan. 27, 2024.
Figures from the Association of American Railroads show overall traffic of 467,222 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.7% compared with the same week a year ago. That included 208,131 carloads, down 9% from a year ago, while intermodal volume was 259,091 containers and trailers, up 10.1%. Through four weeks, 2024 carload traffic is down 10.4% compared to the same period in 2023, while intermodal traffic is up 2.8% for a combined decrease of 3.7%.
North American volume for the week, from 12 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads, was 318,288 carloads, down 7.2% from the corresponding week in 2023, along with 339,611 intermodal units, up 7.4%. The total of 652,899 carloads and intermodal units represented a 0.1% decrease. The year-to-date North American total is down 4.2% compared to 2023.
