U.S. Class I railroads hauled 428,817 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending July 6, 2024—rising 3.3% from the same point last year, AAR reported July 10. Total carloads came in at 195,030, down 1.2% from 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 226,787 containers and trailers, up 7.6% from 2023.
For the week ending July 6, 2024, seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included grain, up 4,702 carloads, to 17,486; chemicals, up 2,017 carloads, to 30,552; and forest products, up 803 carloads, to 7,955. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 were coal, down 7,804 carloads, to 50,700; nonmetallic minerals, down 3,326 carloads, to 26,710; and motor vehicles and parts, down 214 carloads, to 10,646.
For the first 27 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,764,404 carloads, down 4.4% from the same point last year; and 6,869,897 intermodal units, up 8.6% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 27 weeks of 2024 was 12,634,301 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 2.3% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending July 6, 2024, on 10 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 299,444 carloads, up 0.4% compared with the same week last year, and 304,920 intermodal units, up 16.7% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 604,364 carloads and intermodal units, up 8.0%. North American rail volume for the first 27 weeks of 2024 was 17,781,131 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.3% compared with 2023.
Canadian railroads reported 89,296 carloads for the week, up 6.8%, and 66,515 intermodal units, up 71.5% compared with the same week in 2023. For the first 27 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,344,255 carloads, containers and trailers, up 1.6%.
Mexican railroads reported 15,118 carloads for the week, down 11.6% compared with the same week last year, and 11,618 intermodal units, down 0.4%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 27 weeks of 2024 was 802,575 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 7.0% from the same point last year.
