U.S. freight railroads post 7.8% traffic gain in Week 51

U.S. freight railroads hauled 523,912 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending Dec. 14, a 7.8% increase from the same week last year, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Carloads for the week totaled 230,857, up 0.3%, while intermodal volume reached 293,055 containers and trailers, a up 14.6%.

Five of the 10 commodity groups tracked by the AAR each week posted carload increases. They included chemicals, up 8.2% to 35,174 carloads; nonmetallic minerals, up 8.3% to 29,063; and grain, up 3.7% to 21,932. Commodity groups that posted decreases included coal, down 7.6% to 61,126 carloads; metallic ores and metals, down 2.2% to 21,666; and motor vehicles and parts, down 2.7% to 15,845. 

Canadian railroads reported 92,807 carloads for the week, down 1.1%, and 69,112 intermodal units, down 1.6%. Meanwhile, Mexican railroads posted 15,148 carloads, down 9.1%, and 12,897 intermodal units, down 4.1%.

For the first 51 weeks of 2024 compared with the same period in 2023:
• U.S. railroads hauled 24,788,886 carloads and intermodal units, a 3.4% increase;
• Canadian railroads posted 8,089,688 carloads, containers and trailers, a 1% decrease; and
• Mexican railroads reported 1,464,313 carloads and intermodal units, a 2.8% increase.