The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending June 15, 2024. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 493,138 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.4 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending June 15 were 222,759 carloads, down 2.5 percent compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 270,379 containers and trailers, up 8.9 percent compared to 2023.
Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included chemicals, up 3,351 carloads, to 33,137; grain, up 3,319 carloads, to 19,150; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 951 carloads, to 11,046. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 included coal, down 10,024 carloads, to 56,064; nonmetallic minerals, down 3,299 carloads, to 31,197; and metallic ores and metals, down 841 carloads, to 21,227.
For the first 24 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,124,503 carloads, down 4.9 percent from the same point last year; and 6,110,525 intermodal units, up 8.8 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 24 weeks of 2024 was 11,235,028 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 2.1 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending June 15, 2024, on 10 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 329,988 carloads, down 1.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 357,355 intermodal units, up 6.7 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 687,343 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.8 percent. North American rail volume for the first 24 weeks of 2024 was 15,814,707 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.0 percent compared with 2023.
Canadian railroads reported 90,460 carloads for the week, up 4.0 percent, and 74,665 intermodal units, up 2.6 percent compared with the same week in 2023. For the first 24 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,870,602 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.8 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 16,769 carloads for the week, down 8.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 12,311 intermodal units, down 10.7 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 24 weeks of 2024 was 709,077 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 7.7 percent from the same point last year.
