WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic showed a 3.8% gain in June over the same month in 2023, the fifth straight month of increased volume, according to data from the Association of American Railroads.
Weekly traffic, for the week ending June 29, showed a 3.9% gain compared to the corresponding week a year ago.
The monthly figure included 885,864 carloads, a decrease of 15,019 carloads, or 1.7%, from June 2023. Meanwhile, U.S. railroads moved 1,074,646 containers and trailers during the month, an increase of 85,896 units, or 8.7%. The overall gain of 3.8% came on a total volume of 1,960,510 carloads and intermodal units.
Eleven of the 20 carload commodities tracked by the AAR showed gains during the month, led by grain, up 17.%, and petroleum and petroleum products, up 14%.
“June rail traffic continued the trends we’ve seen throughout the first half of 2024, with coal shipments declining and pulling total carloads below 2023 levels,” AAR Chief Economist Rand Ghayad said in a press release. “However, this decline is balanced by growth in other sectors, including chemicals, motor vehicles, and intermodal shipments. Freight rail serves as a reflection of the broader economy, and the increase in motor vehicles and intermodal traffic indicates resilient consumer spending across various industries.”
Through 26 weeks of 2024, carload traffic is down 4.5%, while intermodal volume is up 8.7%, leading to an overall gain of 2.2%.
Week ending June 29
Weekly volume totaled 491,899 carloads and intermodal units. That included 224,775 carloads, up 1.1% compared with the same week in 2023, and 267,124 containers and trailers, up 6.3%.
North American figures for the week, from 10 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads, included 334,500 carloads, up 2.1% compared to the corresponding week a year ago, and 347,441 intermodal units, an increase of 4.6%. The total volume of 681,941 carloads and intermodal units represents a 3.3% increase. Year-to-date volume is up 2.1% compared to 2023. In Canada, year-to-date traffic is up 0.9% compared to the first 26 weeks of 2023; in Mexico, year-to-date traffic is up 6.3%.
