U.S. freight-rail traffic climbed 1.5% in Week 15

U.S. rail traffic totaled 466,463 carloads and intermodal units in week ending April 13, a 1.5.% increase compared with the same week last year, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Carloads totaled 208,381, down 8.2%, while intermodal volume totaled 258,082 containers and trailers, up 11%.

Four of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks every week posted an increase. They included motor vehicles and parts, up 9.6% to 16,288 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, up 14.9% to 10,403 carloads; and farm products excluding grain, and food, up 4.9%  to 17,002 carloads. 

Commodity groups that posted decreases for the week included coal, down 28.3% to 45,218 carloads; metallic ores and metals, down 14.2% to 18,658 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, down 4% to 31,631 carloads.

Also during the week, Canadian railroads reported 91,978 carloads, down 2.9%, and 73,043 intermodal units, up 8.2%. Mexican railroads reported 17,940 carloads for the week, down 1.4%, and 12,635 intermodal units, down 4.9%.

For the first 15 weeks of 2024 compared with the same period in 2023:
• U.S. railroads reported 6,959,079 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.4%;
• Canadian railroads posted 2,383,956 carloads, containers and trailers, which was flat; and
• Mexican railroads logged 446,535 carloads and intermodal containers, up 10.5%.