AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending November 16, 2024

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending November 16, 2024.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 516,886 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.2 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending November 16 were 223,659 carloads, down 5.6 percent compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 293,227 containers and trailers, up 11.1 percent compared to 2023.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,535 carloads, to 11,628; chemicals, up 867 carloads, to 33,170; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 575 carloads, to 18,103. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 included coal, down 11,573 carloads, to 57,661; metallic ores and metals, down 2,394 carloads, to 18,422; and nonmetallic minerals, down 1,758 carloads, to 29,446.

For the first 46 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 10,048,446 carloads, down 3.1 percent from the same point last year; and 12,209,308 intermodal units, up 9.1 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 46 weeks of 2024 was 22,257,754 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.2 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending November 16, 2024, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 333,382 carloads, down 4.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 347,859 intermodal units, up 1.8 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 681,241 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.3 percent. North American rail volume for the first 46 weeks of 2024 was 30,859,771 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.2 percent compared with 2023.

Canadian railroads reported 95,001 carloads for the week, down 3.7 percent, and 40,905 intermodal units, down 38.7 percent compared with the same week in 2023. For the first 46 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 7,284,506 carloads, containers and trailers, down 0.8 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 14,722 carloads for the week, up 17.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 13,727 intermodal units, up 26.1 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 46 weeks of 2024 was 1,317,511 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 2.6 percent from the same point last year.