US, Canada, Mexico Rail Traffic: Weekly Freight Analysis

Introduction

For the week ending October 11, U.S. freight-rail traffic totaled 498,462 carloads and intermodal units, reflecting a 1.3% decrease compared to the same week last year. Carloads increased by 1.2% to 224,562, while intermodal volume decreased by 3.3% to 273,900 containers and trailers.

U.S. Rail Traffic

U.S. weekly freight-rail traffic for the week ending October 11 reached 498,462 carloads and intermodal units. This represents a 1.3% decrease compared to the corresponding week last year. Carloads totaled 224,562, marking a 1.2% increase. Intermodal volume reached 273,900 containers and trailers, reflecting a 3.3% decrease.

Commodity Group Performance

Five of the ten carload commodity groups experienced an increase. Nonmetallic minerals saw a rise of 6.5%, totaling 32,448 carloads. Coal increased by 1% to 58,858 carloads, and chemicals rose by 1.8% to 31,048 carloads. Conversely, several commodity groups reported decreases: metallic ores and metals were down 4.2% to 18,456 carloads; miscellaneous decreased by 3.5% to 8,923 carloads; and grain decreased by 0.4% to 23,434 carloads.

Canadian Rail Traffic

Canadian railroads reported 94,937 carloads, a decrease of 3.2%, and 70,657 intermodal units, an increase of 0.8%, during the same week.

Mexican Rail Traffic

Mexican railroads reported 13,506 carloads, a 70.7% gain, and 14,905 intermodal units, a 60.5% gain.

Conclusion

In summary, for the week ending October 11, U.S. freight-rail traffic showed a slight decrease overall, with gains in carloads offset by a drop in intermodal units. Canadian and Mexican railroads reported mixed results, with Canadian carloads down and Mexican carloads up.