The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending February 10, 2024. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 484,840 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.5 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending February 10 were 220,362 carloads, down 2.5 percent compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 264,478 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 chemicals, up 1,854 carloads, to 33,109; motor vehicles and parts, up 1,769 carloads, to 15,028; and grain, up 1,687 carloads, to 21,551. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 included coal, down 7,264 carloads, to 61,908; nonmetallic minerals, down 3,111 carloads, to 26,637; and miscellaneous carloads, down 1,066 carloads, to 8,123.
For the first six weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 1,245,530 carloads, down 6.4 percent from the same point last year; and 1,470,492 intermodal units, up 6.5 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first six weeks of 2024 was 2,716,022 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 0.2 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending February 10, 2024, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 329,758 carloads, down 1.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 345,065 intermodal units, up 8.9 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 674,823 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.6 percent. North American rail volume for the first six weeks of 2024 was 3,775,396 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.8 percent compared with 2023.
Canadian railroads reported 92,811 carloads for the week, down 0.5 percent, and 69,516 intermodal units, up 2.9 percent compared with the same week in 2023. For the first six weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 905,968 carloads, containers, and trailers, down 4.7 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 16,585 carloads for the week, up 9.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,071 intermodal units, down 2.3 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first six weeks of 2024 was 153,406 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 5.9 percent from the same point last year.
