AAR: Intermodal volume remained strong for U.S. roads last week

Intermodal traffic continues to drive up total U.S. rail volume. During the week ending March 16, U.S. railroads’ carloads dipped 0.6% to 219,586 units, but their intermodal volume climbed 13.8% to 255,010 units compared with figures from the same 2023 period, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Total U.S. rail traffic for the week reached 474,596 carloads and intermodal units, up 6.7% year over year.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR each week posted gains, including grain (up 3,638 carloads), chemicals (up 2,186 carloads), and petroleum and petroleum products (up 1,836 carloads). Commodity groups that registered declines included coal (down 12,033 carloads), metallic ores and metals (down 903 carloads) and forest products (down 92 carloads).

Through 2024’s first 11 weeks, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,344,887 carloads, down 4.1%, and 2,759,413 intermodal units, up 9% compared with levels in the same 2023 period.

For the week ending March 16, Canadian railroads reported 96,016 carloads, up 6.5%, and 71,109 intermodal units, up 7.6%, while Mexican railroads logged 17,383 carloads, down 7.5%, and 12,532 intermodal units, up 6.6%.

Through 11 weeks, Canadian railroads’ cumulative rail traffic volume dipped 1.1% to 1,721,727 units and Mexican railroads’ cumulative volume rose 7.7% to 312,826 units.