AAR Reports Rail Traffic for the Week Ending September 18, 2024

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending September 14, 2024.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 522,557 carloads and intermodal units, up 6.8 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending September 14 were 232,154 carloads, down 0.0 percent compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 290,403 containers and trailers, up 13.0 percent compared to 2023.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included grain, up 3,048 carloads, to 19,372; miscellaneous carloads, up 1,837 carloads, to 10,781; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 820 carloads, to 17,227. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 were coal, down 5,797 carloads, to 63,017; nonmetallic minerals, down 1,853 carloads, to 32,020; and chemicals, down 310 carloads, to 32,444.

For the first 37 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,012,176 carloads, down 3.3 percent from the same point last year; and 9,641,820 intermodal units, up 9.5 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 37 weeks of 2024 was 17,653,996 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.3 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending September 14, 2024, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 338,817 carloads, down 0.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 374,207 intermodal units, up 9.8 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 713,024 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.5 percent. North American rail volume for the first 37 weeks of 2024 was 24,587,434 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.6 percent compared with 2023.

Canadian railroads reported 91,036 carloads for the week, down 1.3 percent, and 71,170 intermodal units, down 0.3 percent compared with the same week in 2023. For the first 37 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,853,653 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.2 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 15,627 carloads for the week, down 8.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 12,634 intermodal units, up 2.1 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 37 weeks of 2024 was 1,079,785 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 4.8 percent from the same point last year.