Intermodal volume drives U.S. freight-rail traffic in Week 46

U.S. freight railroads transported 516,886 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending Nov. 16, a 3.2% increase compared with traffic levels in the same week last year, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Carloads totaled 223,659, down 5.6%, while intermodal volume reached 293,227 containers and trailers, up 11.1%.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks every week posted an increase. They include petroleum and petroleum products, up 15.2% to 11,628 carloads; chemicals, up 2.7% to 33,170; and farm products excluding grain, and food, up 3.3% to 18,103 carloads.

Among the commodities that posted decreases were coal, down 16.7% to 57,661 carloads; metallic ores and metals, down 11.5% to 18,422; and nonmetallic minerals, down 5.6% to 29,446.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported 95,001 carloads for the week, down 3.7%, and 40,905 intermodal units, down 38.7%. Mexican railroads posted 14,722 carloads for the week, up 17.1%, and 13,727 intermodal units, up 26.1%.

For the first 46 weeks of 2024 compared with the same period in 2023:

• U.S. railroads logged 22,257,754 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.2%;

• Canadian railroads reported 7,284,506 carloads, containers and trailers, down 0.8%; and

• Mexican railroads posted 1,317,511 carloads, containers and trailers, a gain of 2.6%.