Today, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending October 5, 2024.

This week’s total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 486,187 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.5 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending October 5 were 225,280, down 3.5 percent from the same week in 2023, while the U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 260,907 containers and trailers, down 1.7 percent from 2023.

Four of the ten carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included farm products excl. grain, and food, up 1,553 carloads, to 18,019; chemicals, up 1,140 carloads, to 31,059; and metallic ores and metals, up 828 carloads, to 20,908. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 included coal, down 5,458 carloads, to 61,304; nonmetallic minerals, down 3,937 carloads, to 29,645; and grain, down 1,300 carloads, to 21,933.

For the first 40 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 8,697,320 carloads, down 3.3 percent from the same point last year, and 10,472,512 intermodal units, up 9.1 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 40 weeks of 2024 was 19,169,832 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.1 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending October 5, 2024, on nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 331,587 carloads, down 4.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 341,107 intermodal units, down 3.0 percent compared with the previous year. Total weekly rail traffic in North America was 672,694 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.7 percent. North American rail volume for the first 40 weeks of 2024 was 26,678,777 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.4 percent compared with 2023.

Canadian railroads reported 94,571 carloads for the week, down 2.0 percent, and 68,805 intermodal units, down 4.7 percent compared with the same week in 2023. For the first 40 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,346,418 carloads, containers, and trailers, down 0.0 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 11,736 carloads for the week, down 31.7 percent compared to last year, and 11,395 intermodal units, down 19.3 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 40 weeks of 2024 was 1,162,527 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.6 percent from last year.

To view the weekly rail charts, click here.