U.S. freight railroads moved 508,496 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending July 27, a 5.3% increase from volume moved in the same week a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Total carloads for the week fell 0.5% to 228,845 units, while total intermodal volume rose 10.5% to 279,651 containers and trailers.

Four of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks every week posted increases. They included grain, up 37.9% to 20,665 carloads; farm products excluding grain, and food, up 9.5% to 16,811; and forest products, up 5.3% to 8,360. Commodity groups that logged decreases included coal, down 9.1% to 61,382 carloads; nonmetallic minerals, down 3.8% to 33,264; and metallic ores and metals, down 2.7% to 21,455.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads during the week moved 84,556 carloads, down 4%, and intermodal units, down 6.2%. Mexican railroads hauled 15,817 carloads, down 18.3%, and 12,507 intermodal units, down 3.8%.

For the first 30 weeks of 2024 compared to the same week in 2023:
• U.S. railroads reported 14,106,686 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.3%;
• Canadian railroads reported 4,803,839 carloads, containers and trailers, up 1.6%; and
• Mexican railroads reported 887,270 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.8%.