U.S. freight-rail traffic dipped 2.5% in Week 40

U.S. freight railroads hauled 486,187 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending Oct. 5, a 2.5% decrease compared with volumes moved during the same week last year, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Total carloads hauled fell 3.5% to 225,280, while intermodal volume decreased 1.7% to 260,907 containers and trailers.

Four of the 10 AAR-tracked carload commodity groups posted increases during the week, including farm products excluding grain, up 9.4% to 18,019 carloads; chemicals, up 3.8% to 31,059; and metallic ores and metals, up 4.1% to 20,908.

Commodity groups that reported decreases included coal, down 8.2% to 61,304 carloads; nonmetallic minerals, down 11.7% to 29,645; and grain, down 5.6% to 21,933.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported 94,571 carloads for the week, down 2%, and 68,805 intermodal units, down 4.7%. Mexican railroads reported 11,736 carloads for the week, down 31.7%, and 11,395 intermodal units, down 19.3%.

For the first 40 weeks of 2024 compared to the same weeks in 2023:

• U.S. railroads reported 19,169,832 carloads and intermodal units, a 3.1% increase;

• Canadian railroads posted 6,346,418 carloads and intermodal units, the same as 2023; and

• Mexican railroads hauled 1,162,527 carloads and intermodal units, a 3.6% increase.