U.S. freight railroads report traffic gain in Week 14

U.S. freight-rail traffic rose 1.6% to 450,142 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending April 6 compared with volume logged in the same week a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads data.

U.S. railroads logged 209,142 carloads for the week, down 4.5%, and 241,000 containers and trailers, up 7.6%.

Six of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks weekly posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included grain, up 17.2% to 22,000 carloads; motor vehicles and parts, up 13.8% to 16,315; and chemicals, up 5.2% to 31,907.

Commodity groups that posted decreases included coal, down 24.4% to 46,688 carloads; nonmetallic minerals, down 6.6% to 29,540; and metallic ores and metals, down 4.2% to 19,403.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported 95,326 carloads for the week, a 5.5% increase, and 72,636 intermodal units, a 12.7% increase. Mexican railroads logged 16,714 carloads, up 3.6%; and 12,781 intermodal units, up 146.5%.

For the first 14 weeks of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023:
• U.S. railroads reported 6,492,616 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.5%;
• Canadian railroads logged 2,218,935 carloads, containers and trailers, down 0.1%; and
• Mexican railroads posted 415,960 carloads, containers and trailers, up 11.7%.