U.S. freight-rail traffic grew 3.6% in Week 25

U.S. freight railroads hauled 485,557 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending June 22, a 3.6% increase compared to the same period last year, according to Association of American Railroads data.

The railroads posted 220,096 carloads in the week, a 0.8% decrease, and 265,461 containers and trailers, a 7.5% increase.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks every week logged increases. They included grain, up 19.5%, to 17,495 carloads; chemicals, up 6.3% to 31,807; and farm products excluding grain, and food, up 11.9% to 16,878.

Commodity groups that logged decreases included coal, down 7.1% to 58,555 carloads; miscellaneous carloads, down 16.2% to 8,688; and metallic ores and metals, down 5.8% to 21,108.

Canadian railroads posted 87,919 carloads for the week, down 1.5%, and 69,471 intermodal units, up 0.2%. Mexican railroads logged 15,938 carloads, down 12.5%; and 12,160 intermodal units, down 6.9%.

For the first 25 weeks of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023:
• U.S. railroads reported 11,720,585 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.2%;
• Canadian railroads reported 4,027,992 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.8%; and
• Mexican railroads reported 737,175 carloads and intermodal units, up 6.9%.