AAR: North American Rail Volume Continues Upward Trend in Week 30

North American rail volume for the first 30 weeks of this year on 10 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads came in at 19,797,795 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers. Cumulative volume in the U.S. was 14,106,686 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.3% from 2023; in Canada, 4,803,839 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.6%; and in Mexico, 887,270 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.8%.

For the week ending July 27, 2024, U.S. Class I railroads moved a total of 508,496 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.3% compared with the same week last year, the AAR reported July 31. This comprised 228,845 carloads, down 0.5% from 2023, and 279,651 containers and trailers, up 10.5% compared with 2023. (U.S. rail traffic for the week ending July 20, 2024, was similar—up 2.3% from the same week last year, with U.S. Class I’s hauling 214,348 carloads, down 3.4%, and 265,735 containers and trailers, up 5.8%.)

Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included grain, up 5,676 carloads, to 20,665; farm products excl. grain, and food, up 1,461 carloads, to 16,811; and forest products, up 418 carloads, to 8,360. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 included coal, down 6,142 carloads, to 61,382; nonmetallic minerals, down 1,316 carloads, to 33,264; and metallic ores and metals, down 602 carloads, to 21,455.

For the first 30 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 6,422,997 carloads, dipping 4.2% from prior-year period; and 7,683,689 intermodal units, gaining 8.5% over 2023.

North American rail volume for the week ending July 27, 2024, totaled 329,218 carloads, down 2.4% from the same week last year, and 356,464 intermodal units, up 6.6% vs. 2023. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America came in at 685,682 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.3%.

For the week ending July 27, 2024, Canadian railroads reported 84,556 carloads, decreasing 4.0%, and 64,306 intermodal units, down 6.2% from the year-ago period.

Mexican railroads reported 15,817 carloads for the week ending July 27, 2024, an 18.3% fall-off from the same point last year, and 12,507 intermodal units, a 3.8% drop.