The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported US rail traffic for the week ending 14 December 2024. For this week, total US weekly rail traffic was 526 166 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.8% compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending 14 December were 228 400 carloads, down 2.4% compared with the same week in 2023, while US weekly intermodal volume was 297 766 containers and trailers, up 11.1% compared to 2023.
Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included farm products excl. grain, and food, up 599 carloads, to 17 143; non-metallic minerals, up 596 carloads, to 29 740; and chemicals, up 374 carloads, to 32 862. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 included coal, down 3899 carloads, to 61 291; metallic ores and metals, down 2444 carloads, to 18 770; and motor vehicles and parts, down 785 carloads, to 16 009.
For the first 50 weeks of 2024, US railroads reported cumulative volume of 10 921 527 carloads, down 3.1% from the same point last year; and 13 343 447 intermodal units, up 9.2% from last year. Total combined US traffic for the first 50 weeks of 2024 was 24 264 974 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.3% compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending 14 December 2024, on 9 reporting US, Canadian and Mexican railroads totalled 334 768 carloads, down 4.0% compared with the same week last year, and 379 155 intermodal units, up 7.0% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 713 923 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.5%. North American rail volume for the first 50 weeks of 2024 was 33 629 011 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.2% compared with 2023.
Canadian railroads reported 91 690 carloads for the week, down 5.9%, and 67 922 intermodal units, down 6.7% compared with the same week in 2023. For the first 50 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 7 927 769 carloads, containers and trailers, down 1.0%.
Mexican railroads reported 14 678 carloads for the week, down 14.8% compared with the same week last year, and 13 467 intermodal units, down 0.3%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 50 weeks of 2024 was 1 436 268 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.0% from the same point last year.