U.S. freight-rail traffic rose 6.8% in Week 37

U.S. freight-rail traffic for the week ending Sept. 14 was 522,557 carloads and intermodal units, a 6.8% increase compared with traffic levels in same week last year, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Total carloads were 232,154, equal to last year, while intermodal volume was 290,403 containers and trailers, up 13.%.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks every week posted an increase for the week. They included grain, up 18.7% to 19,372 carloads; miscellaneous, up 20.5% to 10,781; and farm products excluding grain and food, up 5% to 17,227.

Commodity groups that posted decreases were coal, down 8.4% to 63,017 carloads; nonmetallic minerals, down 5.5% to 32,020; and chemicals, down 0.9% to 32,444.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported 91,036 carloads for the week, down 1.3%, and 71,170 intermodal units, down 0.3%. Mexican railroads logged 15,627 carloads for the week, down 8.9%, and 12,634 intermodal units, up 2.1%.

Totals for the first 37 weeks of 2024 compared with 2023:

• U.S. railroads logged 17,653,996 carloads and intermodal units, a 3.3% increase;

• Canadian railroads reported 5,853,653 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.2%; and

• Mexican railroads posted 1,089,785 carloads, containers and trailers, up 4.8%.