U.S. freight-rail traffic rose 6% in Week 38

U.S. freight railroads hauled  522,113 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending Sept. 21, a  6% increase compared to volume in the same week last year, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Total carloads fell 0.6% to 232,818, while intermodal volume climbed 12% to 289,294 containers and trailers.

Six of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks every week posted increases. They include grain, up 15.5% to 20,897 carloads; chemicals, up 6.7% to 33,139; and miscellaneous, up 21.1% to 10,313.

Commodities that logged decreases include coal, down 7.3% to 63,164 carloads; metallic ores and metals, down 11.9% to 19,979; and nonmetallic minerals, down 6.9% to 32,096.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported 92,505 carloads for the week, down 4.1%, and 69,836 intermodal units, also down 4.1%. Mexican railroads reported 14,191 carloads, down 16%, and 12,399 intermodal units, down 3%.

Traffic during the first 38 weeks of 2024 compared with the same period in 2023:

• U.S. railroads logged 18,176,108 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.3%;

• Canadian railroads posted 6,015,994 carloads and intermodal units, up 0,1%; and

• Mexican railroads reported 1,106, 375 carloads, containers and trailers, up 4.4%.