The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 20, 2024.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 474,544 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.8 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending April 20 were 216,945 carloads, down 6.7 percent compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 257,599 containers and trailers, up 8.2 percent compared to 2023.
Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included motor vehicles and parts, up 2,236 carloads, to 16,877; petroleum and petroleum products, up 2,119 carloads, to 10,754; and forest products, up 686 carloads, to 8,427. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 were coal, down 20,796 carloads, to 47,472; nonmetallic minerals, down 854 carloads, to 31,781; and metallic ores and metals, down 704 carloads, to 21,100.
For the first 16 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 3,408,295 carloads, down 4.6 percent from the same point last year; and 4,025,328 intermodal units, up 9.1 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 16 weeks of 2024 was 7,433,623 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 2.3 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending April 20, 2024, on 10 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 330,830 carloads, down 4.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 346,266 intermodal units, up 7.1 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 677,096 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.3 percent. North American rail volume for the first 16 weeks of 2024 was 10,466,666 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.1 percent compared with 2023.
Canadian railroads reported 96,737 carloads for the week, up 3.8 percent, and 75,954 intermodal units, up 6.0 percent compared with the same week in 2023. For the first 16 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported a cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,556,647 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 0.3 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 17,148 carloads for the week, down 11.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 12,713 intermodal units, down 6.8 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 16 weeks of 2024 was 476,396 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 9.0 percent from the same point last year.
