WASHINGTON – Total U.S. weekly rail traffic for the week ending June 8 was up 4.1% compared with the same week last year thanks to a spike in intermodal volume.
Carloads declined 4.4% compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was up 12.2%, the Association of American Railroads reported.
Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included grain; petroleum and petroleum products; and farm products excluding grain; and food. Commodity groups that posted decreases included coal; nonmetallic minerals; and metallic ores and metals.
For the first 23 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 4,901,744 carloads, down 5% from the same point last year, and 5,840,146 intermodal units, up 8.8% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 23 weeks of 2024 was 10,741,890 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 2% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending June 8 on 10 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 325,376 carloads, down 2.6% compared with the same week last year, and 354,865 intermodal units, up 8.3% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 680,241 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.8%. North American rail volume for the first 23 weeks of 2024 was 15,127,364 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.% compared with 2023.
Canadian railroads reported 89,664 carloads for the week, up 3.7%, and 70,833 containers, down 2.2% compared with the same week in 2023. For the first 23 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,705,477 carloads and containers, up 0.7%.
Mexican railroads reported 17,478 carloads for the week, down 10.0% compared with the same week last year, and 12,350 intermodal units, down 4.7%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 23 weeks of 2024 was 679,997 carloads and intermodal containers, up 8.6% from the same point last year.
Intermodal up, car loads down. Go figure.