AAR: Rail Carloads Down YoY in 2024, Intermodal Up
From the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Rail Time Indicators. Graphs and excerpts reprinted with permission. For the full year 2024, total U.S. carloads were 11.34 million, down 2.9% (343,156 carloads) from 2023 and down 2.3% (265,491 carloads) from 2022. ... Carloads excluding coal, on the other hand, rose in 2024 — up 1.4%, or 117,264 carloads, over 2023 and their third year-over-year gain in the past four years. U.S. railroads originated 13.84 million containers and trailers in 2024, the most since 2021; the third most ever (behind 2018 and 2021); and up 9.3% (1.17 million units) over 2023. emphasis added Click on graph for larger image. This graph from the Rail Time Indicators report shows the six-week average for carloads for the last 3 years. Total carloads were down 2.0% in Q4 YoY. Total originated carloads on U.S. railroads in the fourth quarter of 2024 fell 2.0%, or 57,285 carloads, from the fourth quarter of 2023. Total carloads fell year-over-year each quarter in 2024 after rising (albeit modestly) in three of the four quarters of 2023. Total carloads averaged 220,336 per week in Q4 2024. In our records that begin in 1988, only 2020 had a lower fourth-quarter weekly average.And on Intermodal: In Q4 2024, intermodal averaged 279,275 units per week, up 8.8% over Q4 2023 and the most ever for a fourth quarter in our records. (Q3 2018 and Q2 2021 were higher among all quarters.) Container volume averaged 269,460 per week in Q4 2024, up 10.0% over Q4 2023 and the most ever for any quarter. Note: rail traffic was weak even before the pandemic. As AAR noted: "Trade tensions and declining mfrg. output lead to lower rail volumes" in 2019. These factors might impact rail traffic again in 2025.
From the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Rail Time Indicators. Graphs and excerpts reprinted with permission.
Click on graph for larger image.
This graph from the Rail Time Indicators report shows the six-week average for carloads for the last 3 years. Total carloads were down 2.0% in Q4 YoY.
And on Intermodal:
For the full year 2024, total U.S. carloads were 11.34 million, down 2.9% (343,156 carloads) from 2023 and down 2.3% (265,491 carloads) from 2022. ... Carloads excluding coal, on the other hand, rose in 2024 — up 1.4%, or 117,264 carloads, over 2023 and their third year-over-year gain in the past four years.
U.S. railroads originated 13.84 million containers and trailers in 2024, the most since 2021; the third most ever (behind 2018 and 2021); and up 9.3% (1.17 million units) over 2023.
emphasis added
Click on graph for larger image.This graph from the Rail Time Indicators report shows the six-week average for carloads for the last 3 years. Total carloads were down 2.0% in Q4 YoY.
Total originated carloads on U.S. railroads in the fourth quarter of 2024 fell 2.0%, or 57,285 carloads, from the fourth quarter of 2023. Total carloads fell year-over-year each quarter in 2024 after rising (albeit modestly) in three of the four quarters of 2023. Total carloads averaged 220,336 per week in Q4 2024. In our records that begin in 1988, only 2020 had a lower fourth-quarter weekly average.
And on Intermodal:In Q4 2024, intermodal averaged 279,275 units per week, up 8.8% over Q4 2023 and the most ever for a fourth quarter in our records. (Q3 2018 and Q2 2021 were higher among all quarters.) Container volume averaged 269,460 per week in Q4 2024, up 10.0% over Q4 2023 and the most ever for any quarter.Note: rail traffic was weak even before the pandemic. As AAR noted: "Trade tensions and declining mfrg. output lead to lower rail volumes" in 2019. These factors might impact rail traffic again in 2025.
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