U.S. freight-rail traffic up 7.3% in Week 36

U.S. freight railroads hauled 479,179 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending Sept. 7, a 7.3% increase compared with traffic levels in the same week last year, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Carloads totaled 222,201, up 2.2%, while intermodal volume reached 256,978 containers and trailers, up 12.1%.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks every week posted an increase. They include grain, up 33.6% to 19,552 carloads; chemicals, up 11.1% to 32,669; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 10.6% 10,778.

Among the commodities that posted decreases during the week were coal, down 5.9% to 63,754 carloads; motor vehicles and parts, -8.4% to 13,663; and forest products, -4.3% to 7,511.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported 87,045 carloads for the week, down 2.9%, and 65,938 intermodal units, up 1.7%. Mexican railroads posted 14,477 carloads for the week, down 13.8%, and 11,876 intermodal units, down 6%.

For the first 36 weeks of 2024 compared with 2023:
• U.S. railroads logged 17,131,439 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.2%;
• Canadian railroads reported 5,691,447 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.3%; and
• Mexican railroads posted 1,051,524 carloads, containers and trailers, a gain of 5.1%.