AAR reports carload and intermodal declines for week ending January 7

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes began 2017 with annual volume declines, according to data issued by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) this week.

Carloads fell 7.1 percent compared to the same week a year ago at 221,146. This was ahead of the week ending December 31 at 215,967 and below the week ending December 24 at 243,917.

Only two of the ten carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR posted annual increases, with metallic ores and metals up 5.4 percent to 20,403 and grain up 0.9 percent to 21,476. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 32.1 percent to 8,903 carloads; farm products excl. grain, and food, down 18.4 percent to 13,802 carloads; and forest products, down 15.3 percent to 9,034 carloads.

On the intermodal side, containers and trailers were off 14.9 percent annually at 220,271, topping the week ending December 31, which hit 210,031 and trailing the week ending December 24 at 252,716.