U.S. freight-rail traffic climbs 4.4% in Week 49

U.S. railroads logged 520,894 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending Dec. 7, a 4.4% increase compared to the traffic levels in the same week a year ago, Association of American Railroads data.

The railroads hauled 224,899 carloads, a 1.8% decrease, and 295,995 containers and trailers, a 9.7% increase.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks every week logged increases. They included chemicals, up 8.4% to 33,599 carloads; grain, up 11.8% to 23,143; and miscellaneous, up 16.2% to 9,318.

Commodity groups that posted decreases included coal, down 13% to 57,764 carloads; motor vehicles and parts, down 13.9% to 15,046; and nonmetallic minerals, down 3.1% to 28,164.

Canadian railroads reported 91,717 carloads for the week, down 2.1%, and 69,376 intermodal units, down 1.7%. Over the same period, Mexican railroads logged 14,485 carloads, down 15.3%, and 13,687 intermodal units, down 6.8%.

For the first 49 weeks of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023:
• U.S. railroads hauled 23,738,808 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.3%;
• Canadian railroads reported 7,768,157 carloads, containers and trailers, down 0.9%; and
• Mexican railroads posted 1,408,123 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.3%.