The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending December 7, 2024.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 520,894 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.4 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending December 7 were 224,899 carloads, down 1.8 percent compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 295,995 containers and trailers, up 9.7 percent compared to 2023.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included chemicals, up 2,614 carloads, to 33,599; grain, up 2,436 carloads, to 23,143; and miscellaneous carloads, up 1,302 carloads, to 9,318. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 included coal, down 8,665 carloads, to 57,764; motor vehicles and parts, down 2,436 carloads, to 15,046; and nonmetallic minerals, down 892 carloads, to 28,164.

For the first 49 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 10,693,127 carloads, down 3.1 percent from the same point last year; and 13,045,681 intermodal units, up 9.1 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 49 weeks of 2024 was 23,738,808 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.3 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending December 7, 2024, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 331,101 carloads, down 2.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 379,058 intermodal units, up 6.8 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 710,159 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first 49 weeks of 2024 was 32,915,088 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.3 percent compared with 2023.

Canadian railroads reported 91,717 carloads for the week, down 2.1 percent, and 69,376 intermodal units, down 1.7 percent compared with the same week in 2023. For the first 49 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 7,768,157 carloads, containers and trailers, down 0.9 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 14,485 carloads for the week, down 15.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 13,687 intermodal units, down 6.8 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 49 weeks of 2024 was 1,408,123 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.3 percent from the same point last year.