For the 45-week period ending Nov. 9, 2024, North American rail volume on nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was 30,178,530 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers. Cumulative volume in the U.S. came in at 21,740,868 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.2% from the same point in 2023; in Mexico, 1,289,062 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.3%; and in Canada, 7,148,600 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.4%.
U.S. Class I railroads carried 519,115 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending Nov. 9, 2024, up 4.5% from the prior-year period, according to the AAR. This comprised 224,722 carloads, down 3.7% from 2023, and 294,393 containers and trailers, up 11.7% from 2023.
Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included farm products excluding grain, and food, up 1,659 carloads, to 18,452; chemicals, up 1,257 carloads, to 31,935; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 978 carloads, to 11,084. Commodity groups that posted declines included coal, down 9,941 carloads, to 58,809; nonmetallic minerals, down 2,114 carloads, to 29,186; and motor vehicles and parts, down 1,267 carloads, to 15,276.
For the first 45 weeks of this year, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 9,824,787 carloads, a 3.1% fall-off from the same point in 2023; and 11,916,081 intermodal units, a 9.0% gain over 2023.
North American rail volume for the week ending Nov. 9, 2024, on nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 333,683 carloads, dipping 3.0% from the same week last year, and 349,527 intermodal units, rising 1.5% from last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 683,210 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.8%. North American rail volume for the first 45 weeks of this year came in at 30,178,530 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.3% compared with 2023.
Canadian railroads reported 93,617 carloads for the week ending Nov. 9, 2024, decreasing 3.6%, and 41,958 intermodal units, dropping 39.6% from the same point last year.
For the week ending Nov. 9, 2024, Mexican railroads reported 15,344 carloads, increasing 11.8% from the prior-year period, and 13,176 intermodal units, rising 17.7%.
