AAR Reports rail traffic for the week ending April 13, 2024

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 13, 2024.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 466,463 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.5 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending April 13 were 208,381 carloads, down 8.2 percent compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 258,082 containers and trailers, up 11.0 percent compared to 2023.

Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included motor vehicles and parts, up 1,420 carloads, to 16,288; petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,352 carloads, to 10,403; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 788 carloads, to 17,002. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 included coal, down 17,826 carloads, to 45,218; metallic ores and metals, down 3,095 carloads, to 18,658; and nonmetallic minerals, down 1,301 carloads, to 31,631.

For the first 15 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,191,350 carloads, down 4.5 percent from the same point last year; and 3,767,729 intermodal units, up 9.1 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 15 weeks of 2024 was 6,959,079 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 2.4 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending April 13, 2024, on 10 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 318,299 carloads, down 6.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 343,760 intermodal units, up 9.7 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 662,059 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.4 percent. North American rail volume for the first 15 weeks of 2024 was 9,789,570 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.2 percent compared with 2023.

Canadian railroads reported 91,978 carloads for the week, down 2.9 percent, and 73,043 intermodal units, up 8.2 percent compared with the same week in 2023. For the first 15 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,383,956 carloads, containers and trailers, down 0.0 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 17,940 carloads for the week, down 1.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 12,635 intermodal units, down 4.9 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 15 weeks of 2024 was 446,535 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 10.5 percent from the same point last year.