AAR: Carloads Down, Intermodal Up for Week 21

U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 25, 2024 (Week 21) was up 1.2% from the prior-year period, as intermodal gains offset carload losses, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) latest report.

U.S. Class I railroads hauled 485,232 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending May 25, 2024—rising 1.2% from the same point last year, AAR reported May 29. Total carloads came in at 217,744, down 6.9% from 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 267,488 containers and trailers, up 8.9% from 2023.

For the week ending May 25, three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They were petroleum and petroleum products, up 2,073 carloads, to 11,337; chemicals, up 1,540 carloads, to 33,439; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 600 carloads, to 17,091. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 included coal, down 12,617 carloads, to 50,216; nonmetallic minerals, down 4,158 carloads, to 30,981; and metallic ores and metals, down 2,361 carloads, to 21,689.

For the first 21 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 4,477,274 carloads, down 5.0% from the same point last year; and 5,324,623 intermodal units, up 8.6% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 21 weeks of 2024 was 9,801,897 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1.9% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending May 25, 2024, on 10 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 320,227 carloads, down 4.2% compared with the same week last year, and 350,485 intermodal units, up 5.7% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 670,712 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.7%. North American rail volume for the first 21 weeks of 2024 was 13,821,331 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.0% compared with 2023.

Canadian railroads reported 84,882 carloads for the week, down 1.3%, and 70,899 intermodal units, down 5.6% compared with the same week in 2023. For the first 21 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,385,766 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.7%.

Mexican railroads reported 17,601 carloads for the week, up 24.3% compared with the same week last year, and 12,098 intermodal units, up 12.3%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 21 weeks of 2024 was 633,668 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 11.2% from the same point last year.