North American rail volume for the first 38 weeks of this year on nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads came in at 25,298,477 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers. Cumulative volume in the U.S. was 18,176,108 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.3% from 2023; in Canada, 6,015,994 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.1%; and in Mexico, 1,106,375 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.4%.
For the week ending Sept. 21, 2024, U.S. Class I railroads moved a total of 522,112 carloads and intermodal units, up 6.0% compared with the same week last year, the AAR reported Sept. 25. This comprised 232,818 carloads, down 0.6% from 2023, and 289,294 containers and trailers, up 12.0% compared with 2023.
Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included grain, up 2,812 carloads, to 20,897; chemicals, up 2,071 carloads, to 33,139; and miscellaneous carloads, up 1,799 carloads, to 10,313. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 included coal, down 4,987 carloads, to 63,164; metallic ores and metals, down 2,699 carloads, to 19,979; and nonmetallic minerals, down 2,382 carloads, to 32,096.
For the first 38 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,244,994 carloads, dipping 3.3% from the prior-year period; and 9,931,114 intermodal units, gaining 9.6% over 2023.
North American rail volume for the week ending Sept. 21, 2024, on nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 339,514 carloads, down 2.3% compared with the same week last year, and 371,529 intermodal units, up 8.0% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 711,043 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.8%.
Canadian railroads logged 92,505 carloads for the week ending Sept. 21, 2024, down 4.1%, and 69,836 intermodal units, down 4.1% compared with the same week in 2023.
For the week ending Sept. 21, 2024, Mexican railroads reported 14,191carloads for the week, down 16.0% compared with the same week last year, and 12,399 intermodal units, down 3.0%.
