The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 31, 2024.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 516,632 carloads and intermodal units, up 8.4 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending August 31 were 233,278 carloads, up 1.0 percent compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 283,354 containers and trailers, up 15.3 percent compared to 2023.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included grain, up 5,492 carloads, to 20,494; petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,365 carloads, to 11,412; and motor vehicles and parts, up 1,144 carloads, to 17,221. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 were coal, down 5,495 carloads, to 62,624; metallic ores and metals, down 1,487 carloads, to 21,616; and nonmetallic minerals, down 166 carloads, to 32,156.

For the first 35 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 7,557,821 carloads, down 3.6 percent from the same point last year; and 9,094,439 intermodal units, up 9.3 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 35 weeks of 2024 was 16,652,260 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.1 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending August 31, 2024, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 343,419 carloads, up 2.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 354,117 intermodal units, up 8.1 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 697,536 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first 35 weeks of 2024 was 23,201,648 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.4 percent compared with 2023.

Canadian railroads reported 94,106 carloads for the week, up 4.7 percent, and 58,491 intermodal units, down 18.8 percent compared with the same week in 2023. For the first 35 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,538,464 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.3 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 16,035 carloads for the week, up 8.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 12,272 intermodal units, up 24.8 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 35 weeks of 2024 was 1,010,924 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 4.1 percent from the same point last year.