by Calculated Threat on 5/07/2024 11:01:00 AM
From the Affiliation of American Railroads (AAR) Rail Time Indicators. Graphs and excerpts reprinted with permission.
Complete originated U.S. carloads averaged 212,221 per week in April 2024, down 6.5% from April 2023
and the second lowest weekly common for April in our data that return to 1988. (April 2020 was
decrease.) Complete carloads fell yr over yr every of the primary 4 months of 2024. Yr-to-date complete
carloads by April had been down 4.8% and, at 3.62 million, had been the bottom for any yr in our data.
The principle cause is coal. …U.S. railroads additionally originated 1.02 million intermodal containers and trailers in April 2024, up 8.6%
over April 2023 — intermodal’s eighth straight year-over-year acquire. (Intermodal will not be included in
carloads.)
emphasis added
Click on on graph for bigger picture.
This graph from the Rail Time Indicators report exhibits the six-week common of U.S. Carloads in 2022, 2023 and 2024:
Complete originated U.S. carloads in April 2024 had been
848,882, down 6.5% (58,751 carloads) from April 2023. The
weekly common in April 2024 was 212,221 carloads per
week, the second lowest for April in our data that go
again to 1988. (April 2020, when the pandemic was simply
beginning, was decrease.) Yr-to-date complete carloads by
April had been 3.62 million, down 4.8% (180,839 carloads) from
final yr. Complete carloads fell year-over-year every of the
first 4 months of 2024.It’s a damaged report at this level, however blame coal.
In April 2024, coal averaged 46,303 carloads per week,
down 28.0% from April 2023 — the fourth straight double-digit proportion decline.
The second graph exhibits the six-week common (not month-to-month) of U.S. intermodal in 2022, 2023 and 2024: (utilizing intermodal or transport containers):
U.S. railroads originated 1.02 million intermodal
containers and trailers in April 2024, up 8.6% (80,471 models)
over April 2023 — intermodal’s eighth straight acquire. In
April 2024, intermodal averaged 254,642 models per week.
April’s common from 2015 to 2023 was 257,701, barely
larger than April 2024. Final yr wasn’t an excellent yr for
intermodal — it was the bottom since 2013 — and the features
this yr have basically returned intermodal quantity
again to regular.
