Total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 486,187 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.5% compared with the same week last year, the Association of American Railroads reported for the week ending Oct. 5, 2024.
Total carloads were 225,280, down 3.5% compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 260,907 containers and trailers, down 1.7% compared to 2023. Four 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 1,553 carloads to 18,019; chemicals, up 1,140 carloads to 31,059; and metallic ores and metals, up 828 carloads to 20,908. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 included coal, down 5,458 carloads to 61,304; nonmetallic minerals, down 3,937 carloads to 29,645; and grain, down 1,300 carloads to 21,933.
For the first 40 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,697,320 carloads, down 3.3% from the same point last year; and 10,472,512 intermodal units, up 9.1% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 40 weeks of 2024 was 19,169,832 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.1% compared to last year.
North American rail volume on nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 331,587 carloads, down 4.5% compared with the same week last year, and 341,107 intermodal units, down 3.0% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 672,694 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.7%. North American rail volume for the first 40 weeks of 2024 was 26,678,777 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.4% compared with 2023.
Canadian railroads reported 94,571 carloads for the week, down 2.0%, and 68,805 intermodal units, down 4.7% compared with the same week in 2023. For the first 40 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,346,418 carloads, containers and trailers, down 0.0%.
Mexican railroads reported 11,736 carloads for the week, down 31.7% compared with the same week last year, and 11,395 intermodal units, down 19.3%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 40 weeks of 2024 was 1,162,527 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.6% from the same point last year.
