Freight railroads start 2024 with volume growth

Railroads operating in the United States began the new year with a 2.3% increase in carload and intermodal volumes for the week ending Jan. 6 compared to the same week a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Total carloads for the week rose 0.9% to 208,176, while containers and trailers climbed 3.7% to 209,081.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks on a weekly basis posted increases. They included chemicals, up 10.9% to 29,083 carloads; farm products excluding grain, and food, up 7.9% to 16,362; and grain, up 5.3% to 21,667.

Commodity groups that posted decreases were motor vehicles and parts, down 19.7%, to 9,429 carloads; coal, -3.4% to 61,747; and nonmetallic minerals, -6.4% to 24,312.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported 85,204 carloads for the week, up 2.2%, and 59,601 intermodal units, down 1.5%. Mexican railroads logged 13,630 carloads for the week, up 2.5%, and 35,454 intermodal units, up 329.9%.

For the first week of 2024 compared with 2023:
• U.S. railroads reported 417,257 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.3%;
• Canadian railroads reported 144,805 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.7%; and
• Mexican railroads reported 49,084 carloads, containers and trailers, up 127.8%.