WASHINGTON – The Association of American Railroads reported that U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Sept. 14 rose 6.8% compared with the same week last year.
Carload traffic was flat for the week, but weekly intermodal volume was up 13% compared to 2023.
Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included grain; miscellaneous carloads; and farm products excluding grain and food. Commodity groups that posted decreases were coal; nonmetallic minerals; and chemicals.
For the first 37 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,012,176 carloads, down 3.3% from the same point last year; and 9,641,820 intermodal units, up 9.5% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 37 weeks of 2024 was 17,653,996 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.3% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending Sept. 14 on nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 338,817 carloads, down 0.8% compared with the same week last year, and 374,207 intermodal units, up 9.8% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 713,024 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.5%. North American rail volume for the first 37 weeks of 2024 was 24,587,434 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.6% compared with 2023.
Canadian railroads reported carloads declined 1.3% for the week. Intermodal dropped slightly, by 0.3%.. For the first 37 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,853,653 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.2%.
Mexican railroads reported 15,627 carloads for the week, down 8.9% compared with the same week last year, and 12,634 intermodal units, up 2.1%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 37 weeks of 2024 was 1,079,785 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 4.8% from the same point last year.
