AAR: Carloads Down, Intermodal Up in Week 25

(UP photo)

U.S. rail traffic for the week ending June 22, 2024 (Week 25) was up 3.6% from the prior-year period, as intermodal gains more than offset carload losses, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) latest report.

U.S. Class I railroads hauled 485,557 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending June 22, 2024—rising 3.6% from the same point last year, AAR reported June 26. Total carloads came in at 220,096, down 0.8% from 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 265,461 containers and trailers, up 7.5% from 2023. (U.S. rail traffic for the week ending June 15, 2024 was similar—up 2.0% from the same week last year, with U.S. Class I’s hauling 222,759 carloads, down 2.5%, and 270,379 containers and trailers, up 8.9%.)

For the week ending June 22, 2024, five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included grain, up 2,851 carloads, to 17,495; chemicals, up 1,890 carloads, to 31,807; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 1,792 carloads, to 16,878. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 included coal, down 4,442 carloads, to 58,555; miscellaneous carloads, down 1,676 carloads, to 8,688; and metallic ores and metals, down 1,309 carloads, to 21,108.

For the first 25 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,344,599 carloads, down 4.7% from the same point last year; and 6,375,986 intermodal units, up 8.8% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 25 weeks of 2024 was 11,720,585 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 2.2% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending June 22, 2024, on 10 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 323,953 carloads, down 1.6% compared with the same week last year, and 347,092 intermodal units, up 5.4% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 671,045 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.9%. North American rail volume for the first 25 weeks of 2024 was 16,485,752 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.0% compared with 2023.

Canadian railroads reported 87,919 carloads for the week, down 1.5%, and 69,471 intermodal units, up 0.2% compared with the same week in 2023. For the first 25 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,027,992 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.8%.

Mexican railroads reported 15,938 carloads for the week, down 12.5% compared with the same week last year, and 12,160 intermodal units, down 6.9%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 25 weeks of 2024 was 737,175 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 6.9% from the same point last year.