The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending July 27, 2024.

This week, the total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 508,496 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.3 percent from the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending July 27 were 228,845, down 0.5 percent from the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 279,651 containers and trailers, up 10.5 percent from 2023.

Four of the ten 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 a cumulative volume of 6,422,997 carloads, down 4.2 percent from the same point last year, and 7,683,689 intermodal units, up 8.5 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 30 weeks of 2024 was 14,106,686 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 2.3 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending July 27, 2024, on ten reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 329,218 carloads, down 2.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 356,464 intermodal units, up 6.6 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 685,682 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.0 percent. North American rail volume for the first 30 weeks of 2024 was 19,797,795 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.3 percent compared with 2023.

Canadian railroads reported 84,556 carloads for the week, down 4.0 percent, and 64,306 intermodal units, down 6.2 percent compared with the same week in 2023. For the first 30 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,803,839 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 1.6 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 15,817 carloads for the week, down 18.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 12,507 intermodal units, down 3.8 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 30 weeks of 2024 was 887,270 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 4.8 percent from the same point last year.

To view the weekly rail charts, click here.