For the 41-week period ending Oct. 12, 2024, North American rail volume on nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was 27,375,648 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers. Cumulative volume in the U.S. came in at 19,674,865 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.1% from the same point in 2023; in Canada, 6,514,669 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.1%; and in Mexico, 1,186,114 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.0%.
U.S. Class I railroads hauled 505,033 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending Oct. 12, 2024, up 2.6% from the same week last year, according to the AAR. This comprised 222,003 carloads, down 1.3% from 2023, and 283,030 containers and trailers, up 5.9% from 2023.
Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included grain, up 1,346 carloads, to 23,523; metallic ores and metals, up 1,164 carloads, to 19,277; and farm products excluding grain, and food, up 891 carloads, to 17,894. Commodity groups that posted declines were coal, down 3,412 carloads, to 58,233; nonmetallic minerals, down 2,473 carloads, to 30,465; and motor vehicles and parts, down 1,301 carloads, to 14,412.
For the first 41 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,919,323 carloads, a 3.2% fall-off from the same point last year; and 10,755,542 intermodal units, a 9.1% gain over last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending Oct. 12, 2024, on nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 332,200 carloads, dipping 1.2% from the same week last year, and 364,671 intermodal units, rising 4.5% from last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America came in at 696,871 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.7%.
Canadian railroads reported 98,096 carloads for the week ending Oct. 12, 2024, up 3.5%, and 70,155 intermodal units, up 1.6% from the year-earlier period.
For the week ending Oct. 12, 2024, Mexican railroads reported 12,101 carloads, dropping 27.2% from the same week in 2023, and 11,486 intermodal units, falling 9.2%.
