U.S. weekly rail traffic remained ahead of 2024 levels for a sixth consecutive week, according to the latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads.
For the week ending Aug. 9, traffic totaled 511,194 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3% compared to the same week a year ago. That includes 227,327 carloads, up 2.4% compared to the corresponding week a year ago, and 283,867 containers and trailers, an increase of 3.4.%
For the year to date, total traffic is 15,673,805 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.8% over the first 32 weeks of 2024. The overall figure includes 7,055,736 carloads, up 2.8%, and 8,618,069 intermodal units, an increase of 4.6%.
Chemicals, a premium category for rail and bellwether among raw materials input for manufacturing, was off 0.4% y/y, one of only three commodities to decline.
The intermodal gains are likely driven by international shipments, as the ports of Los Angeles-Long Beach reported record volumes in July.
North American volume for the week, from nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads, was 695,674 carloads, containers and trailers, a 2.7% increase over the corresponding week in 2024. The overall figure includes 324,349 carloads, down 0.04%, and 371,325 intermodal units, up 5.3%.
Year-to-date North American traffic comes in at 21,639,091 carloads and intermodal units, a 2.9% increase over the same period in 2024. That includes 5,194,861 carloads, containers, and trailers in Canada, an increase of 1.6%, and 770,425 carloads and intermodal units in Mexico, down 4.8%.
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Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
Related coverage:
July rail freight better but indicators cloud outlook
Union Pacific upping West Coast ports-to-Chicago intermodal stakes
Grain, automotive keep U.S. rail traffic ahead of 2024
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