The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 9, 2024. Total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 472,662 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.0 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending March 9 were 214,585 carloads, down 3.7 percent compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 258,077 containers and trailers, up 13.5 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 1,916 carloads, to 33,713; petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,399 carloads, to 9,930; and metallic ores and metals, up 685 carloads, to 18,882. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 included coal, down 8,963 carloads, to 55,963; nonmetallic minerals, down 2,691 carloads, to 28,505; and miscellaneous carloads, down 726 carloads, to 7,791.

For the first 10 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 2,125,301 carloads, down 4.5 percent from the same point last year; and 2,504,403 intermodal units, up 8.5 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 10 weeks of 2024 was 4,629,704 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 2.1 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending March 9, 2024, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 321,441 carloads, down 3.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 342,181 intermodal units, up 12.0 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 663,622 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.1 percent. North American rail volume for the first 10 weeks of 2024 was 6,467,217 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.4 percent compared with 2023.

Canadian railroads reported 89,470 carloads for the week, down 1.8 percent, and 71,752 intermodal units, up 7.2 percent compared with the same week in 2023. For the first 10 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,554,602 carloads, containers, and trailers, down 1.9 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 17,386 carloads for the week, down 4.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 12,352 intermodal units, up 11.0 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 10 weeks of 2024 was 282,911 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 8.8 percent from the same point last year.

View the report here.