U.S. rail traffic down slightly in Jan, but now up considerably

Friday, February 9, 2024

U.S. rail traffic was down slightly in January, but up considerably for the week ending Feb. 3, according to the latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads.

For January, overall traffic was down 0.7%, with carload volume down 7.2% and container and trailer volume up 5.5%, compared to the first month of 2023.

“In January, severe winter weather significantly disrupted railroad and rail customer operations in much of the country,” said AAR economist Dan Keen.

“Moreover, uncertainty remains in the economy, especially in sectors that are important to railroads, like manufacturing. Because of these factors, January is not necessarily a harbinger of what’s to come for rail traffic in the months ahead.”

Week ending Feb. 3
For the week, U.S. railroads handled 491,697 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 11.6% from the corresponding week in 2023.

That included 222,213 carloads, up 6.3% from a year ago, and 269,484 intermodal units, up 16.5%.

North American totals for the week, from 10 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads, included 328,148 carloads, up 4.7% from the same week a year ago, and 352,559 intermodal units, up 15.4%.

The total combined volume of 680,707 carloads and intermodal units was 10% increase. Year-to-date North American volume, through five weeks of 2024, is down 1.4% compared to 2023.

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• U.S. Rail Traffic Steams Ahead: Association Of American Railroads Report Reveals 1.6% Surge in Weekly Volume Setting 2024 on Track for Growth