This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
5/2/2024
Intermodal continued to boost U.S. freight-rail traffic in April, with railroads logging a combined 1,867,451 carloads, containers and trailers last month — a 1.2% increase from April 2023 volumes, according to Association of American Railroads data.
U.S. railroads originated 848,882 carloads in April, a 6.5% decrease from carloads posted a year ago. But intermodal volume last month jumped 8.6% to 1,018,569 containers and trailers.
In April, nine of the 20 carload commodity categories tracked by the AAR monthly posted carload gains. They included motor vehicles and parts, up 12.1%; petroleum and petroleum products, up 13.8%; and chemicals, up 2.9%.
Commodities that logged decreases last month included coal, -28%; metallic ores, -16.9%; and crushed stone, sand and gravel, -4.4%.
"U.S. rail carloads declined in April primarily due to decreased coal shipments," AAR Chief Economist Rand Ghayad in a press release. "Excluding coal, year-over-year carload volumes have experienced a three-month consecutive increase."
For the first four months of 2024, U.S. railroads reported 3,622,709 carloads, down 4.8%, and 4,287,216 intermodal units, up 9%, year over year.