AAR Reports rail traffic for the Week Ending July 13, 2024

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

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 483,806 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.3 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending July 13 were 215,400 carloads, down 4.3 percent compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 268,406 containers and trailers, up 6.3 percent compared to 2023.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included grain, up 5,557 carloads, to 21,606; farm products excl. grain, and food, up 736 carloads, to 17,137; and forest products, up 427 carloads, to 8,401. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 included coal, down 9,415 carloads, to 55,673; nonmetallic minerals, down 3,119 carloads, to 30,872; and motor vehicles and parts, down 2,910 carloads, to 11,763.

For the first 28 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,979,804 carloads, down 4.4 percent from the same point last year; and 7,138,303 intermodal units, up 8.5 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 28 weeks of 2024 was 13,118,107 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 2.2 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending July 13, 2024, on 10 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 318,065 carloads, down 3.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 349,079 intermodal units, up 10.9 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 667,144 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.3 percent. North American rail volume for the first 28 weeks of 2024 was 18,448,275 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.4 percent compared with 2023.

Canadian railroads reported 86,936 carloads for the week, down 0.2 percent, and 68,356 intermodal units, up 37.7 percent compared with the same week in 2023. For the first 28 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,499,547 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2.0 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 15,729 carloads for the week, down 15.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 12,317 intermodal units, down 3.2 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 28 weeks of 2024 was 830,621 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 6.3 percent from the same point last year.