North American rail traffic up 1.8% for the week ending March 30

The Association of American Railroads or AAR reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 30. Total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 472,651 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.2% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending March 30 were 218,733 carloads, down 3.2% compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 253,918 containers and trailers, up 9.3% compared to 2023. Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included grain, up 1,849 carloads, to 20,934; motor vehicles and parts, up 1,387 carloads, to 16,260; and chemicals, up 1,319 carloads, to 33,508. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 were coal, down 13,750 carloads, to 51,603; and metallic ores and metals, down 1,279 carloads, to 21,129. North American rail volume for the week ending March 30, on 10 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 328,007 carloads, down 4.1% compared with the same week last year, and 335,908 intermodal units, up 8.2% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 663,915 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.8%. North American rail volume for the first 13 weeks of 2024 was 8,462,498 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.8% compared with 2023.Publicly traded companies in the space include CSX (CSX), Canadian National (CNI), Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CP), Kansas City Southern (KSU), Norfolk Southern (NSC), Union Pacific (UNP), Greenbrier (GBX),Trinity Industries (TRN), FreightCar America (RAIL), Wabtec (WAB) and Rail Vision (RVSN).