North American rail volume for the first 32 weeks of this year on 10 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads came in at 21,143,021 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers. Cumulative volume in the U.S. was 15,102,002 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.5% from 2023; in Canada, 5,114,967 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.4%; and in Mexico, 926,052 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.3%.
For the week ending Aug. 10, 2024, U.S. Class I railroads moved a total of 496,509 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.2% compared with the same week last year, the AAR reported Aug. 14. This comprised 222,039 carloads, down 0.9% from 2023, and 274,470 containers and trailers, up 10.6% compared with 2023. (U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Aug. 3, 2024, was similar—up 5.3% from the same week last year, with U.S. Class I’s hauling 219,568 carloads, down 1.2%, and 279,239 containers and trailers, up 11.8%.)
Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included grain, up 3,866 carloads, to 18,402; chemicals, up 2,969 carloads, to 32,959; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 546 carloads, to 16,193. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 included coal, down 7,633 carloads, to 61,031; nonmetallic minerals, down 1,295 carloads, to 31,849; and metallic ores and metals, down 906 carloads, to 19,432.
For the first 32 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 6,864,604 carloads, dipping 4.0% from prior-year period; and 8,237,398 intermodal units, gaining 8.7% over 2023.
North American rail volume for the week ending Aug. 10, 2024, totaled 326,804 carloads, down 0.2% compared with the same week last year, and 353,768 intermodal units, up 7.7% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 680,572 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.7%.
Canadian railroads logged 89,620 carloads for the week ending Aug. 10, 2024, up 2.5%, and 66,976 intermodal units, down 5.5% compared with the same week in 2023.
For the week ending Aug. 10, 2024, Mexican railroads reported 15,145 carloads for the week, down 6.2% compared with the same week last year, and 12,322 intermodal units, up 27.9%.
