The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending February 24, 2024. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 483,656 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.7 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending February 24 were 224,251 carloads, up 2.6 percent compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 259,405 containers and trailers, up 12.6 percent compared to 2023.
Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included chemicals, up 2,776 carloads, to 33,454; grain, up 2,470 carloads, to 21,698; and motor vehicles and parts, up 2,196 carloads, to 15,931. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 were coal, down 2,561 carloads, to 61,556; nonmetallic minerals, down 1,968 carloads, to 27,533; and forest products, down 150 carloads, to 8,460.
For the first eight weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,690,310 carloads, down 4.6 percent from the same point last year; and 1,983,594 intermodal units, up 7.4 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first eight weeks of 2024 was 3,673,904 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1.5 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending February 24, 2024, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 336,833 carloads, up 3.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 341,906 intermodal units, up 10.8 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 678,739 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.1 percent. North American rail volume for the first eight weeks of 2024 was 5,122,636 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.7 percent compared with 2023.
Canadian railroads reported 94,066 carloads for the week, up 5.8 percent, and 69,511 intermodal units, up 4.3 percent compared with the same week in 2023. For the first eight weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,233,049 carloads, containers and trailers, down 2.8 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 18,516 carloads for the week, up 3.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 12,990 intermodal units, up 14.0 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first eight weeks of 2024 was 215,683 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 6.8 percent from the same point last year.
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