U.S. weekly rail traffic rose 6.6% to 516,743 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Nov. 2, 2024, compared with the same week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Nov. 6.
Total carloads for the week ending Nov. 2 were 228,635 carloads, up 1.9% compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 288,108 containers and trailers, up 10.7% compared to 2023. Nine of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included chemicals, up 2,326 carloads, to 32,425; grain, up 2,229 carloads, to 23,656; and nonmetallic minerals, up 1,911 carloads, to 33,124. One commodity group posted a decrease compared with the same week in 2023: coal, down 7,949 carloads, to 57,314.
For the first 44 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 9,600,065 carloads, down 3.0% from the same point last year; and 11,621,688 intermodal units, up 9.0% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 44 weeks of 2024 was 21,221,753 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.2% compared to last year.
North American rail volume on nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 340,572 carloads, up 1.8% compared with the same week last year, and 371,537 intermodal units, up 9.9% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 712,109 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.9%. North American rail volume for the first 44 weeks of 2024 was 29,507,054 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.4% compared with 2023.
Canadian railroads reported 96,792 carloads for the week, down 0.8%, and 70,113 intermodal units, up 4.2% compared with the same week in 2023. For the first 44 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 7,013,025 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.0%.
Mexican railroads reported 15,145 carloads for the week, up 20.3% compared with the same week last year, and 13,316 intermodal units, up 27.2%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 44 weeks of 2024 was 1,272,276 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.0% from the same point last year.
