AAR reports carload and intermodal gains for week ending March 25

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported this week that United States rail carload and intermodal volumes were both up for the week ending March 25.

Carloads headed up 12.4 percent annually at 260,897, which topped the week ending March 18 at 246,465 and the week ending March 11 at 253,664.

Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016. They included grain, up 21.8 percent to 23,312 carloads; coal, up 19.8 percent to 79,422 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, up 15.8 percent to 22,248 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 were motor vehicles and parts, down 1.5 percent to 18,390 carloads; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 1.4 percent to 10,591 carloads.

Intermodal containers and trailers saw an 11.6 percent annual increase to 265,574, which was ahead of the 248,816 recorded during the week ending March 18 and the 256,974 for the week ending March 11.

On a year-to-date basis for the first 12 weeks of 2017, U.S. carloads are up 5.5 percent compared to the same timeframe a year ago at 3,064,382 and intermodal containers and trailers are up 1.1 percent at 3,119,735.