North American rail traffic up 7.1% for the week ending February 24

The Association of American Railroads or AAR reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending February 24. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 483,656 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.7% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending February 24 were 224,251 carloads, up 2.6% compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 259,405 containers and trailers, up 12.6% compared to 2023. Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included 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. North American rail volume for the week ending February 24, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 336,833 carloads, up 3.5% compared with the same week last year, and 341,906 intermodal units, up 10.8% compared with last year. 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…Publicly traded companies in the space include CSX (CSX), Canadian National (CNI), Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CP), Kansas City Southern (KSU), Norfolk Southern (NSC), and Union Pacific (UNP). Trinity Industries (TRN) Greenbrier (GBX), Wabtec (WAB) and Rail Vision (RVSN).