WASHINGTON — Intermodal traffic, which was a weakness for rail traffic in most of 2023, remains the strength in the weekly rail traffic statistics so far in 2024.
U.S. rail volume for the week ending March 16 was up 6.7% over the same week a year ago, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. It is the eighth straight week of increases over 2023 levels.
Overall traffic — 474,596 carloads and intermodal units — includes 219,586 carloads, a 0.6% decline from the corresponding week in 2023, and 255,010 containers and trailers, a 13.8% increase from a year ago. Through 11 weeks of 2024, carload traffic is down 4.1% compared to the same period in 2023, while intermodal units are up 9%. That adds up to an overall increase of 2.5%.
North American traffic for the week, for 12 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads, included 332,985 carloads, up 1% from the same week a year ago, and 338,651 intermodal units, up 12.1%. Overall, traffic for the week was up 6.3%. The year-to-date total through the first 11 weeks of 2024 shows a 1.8 increase over the same period in 2023.
