WASHINGTON — Weekly U.S. rail traffic continues to run ahead of 2023 figures, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads.
Traffic for the week ending March 9 was 472,662 carloads and intermodal unites, up 5% from a year ago. It was the seventh straight week of improvements over the corresponding week in 2023. The overall figure included 214,585 carloads, down 3.7% from the same week in 2023, and 258,077 containers and trailers, up 13.5%.
Year-to-date totals, through 10 weeks of 2024, show carload traffic down 4.5% and intermodal traffic up 8.5% for an overall increase of 2.1%.
North American volume for the week, from 12 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads, was 321,441 carloads, down 3.2% from the corresponding week in 2023, and 432,181 intermodal units, up 12%. The total of 663, 622 carloads and intermodal units represents an increase of 4.1%. Year-to-date North American volume through 10 weeks is up 1.4%.