U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes see annual gains, for week ending February 24, reports AAR

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes, for the week ending February 24, saw annual gains, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR). 

Rail carloads, at 224,251, increased 2.6% annually, topping the weeks ending February 17 and February 10, at 220,529 and 220,362, respectively.

AAR said that seven of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including: chemicals, up 2,776 carloads, to 33,454; grain, up 2,470 carloads, to 21,698; and motor vehicles and parts, up 2,196 carloads, to 15,931. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 were coal, down 2,561 carloads, to 61,556; nonmetallic minerals, down 1,968 carloads, to 27,533; and forest products, down 150 carloads, to 8,460.

Intermodal containers and trailers, at 259,405, saw a 12.6% annual gain, topping the week ending February 17, at 253,697, and trailing the week ending February 10, at 264,478.

Through the first eight weeks of 2024, AAR reported that U.S. rail carload volume, at 1,690,310, fell 4.6% annually, and intermodal units, at 1,983,594, saw a 7.4% annual increase.

North American rail volume on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 336,833 carloads, increased 3.5% annually, and 341,906 intermodal units, were up 10.8%. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 678,739 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.1%. North American rail volume for the first eight weeks of 2024 was 5,122,636 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.7% compared with 2023.