AAR reports carload and intermodal volumes are down for week ending October 8

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported this week that United States rail carload and intermodal volumes again saw annual declines for the week ending October 8.

Carloads dropped 5.9 percent annually to 264,165, which is below the 277,157 reported for the week ending October 1 and the 268,524 for the week ending September 24.

The AAR said that two of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015, including grain, up 8.2 percent to 26,845 carloads and motor vehicles and parts, up 6.2 percent to 18,946 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 29.8 percent to 9,587 carloads; coal, down 8.3 percent to 90,195 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals down 9.5 percent to 33,305 carloads.

Intermodal containers and trailers fell 6.4 percent annually to 257,624, which was below the week ending October 1 at 272,014 and the week ending September 24 at 271,085.

On a year-to-date basis through the first 40 weeks of 2016, carloads are down 10.4 percent at 10,001,381, and intermodal containers and trailers are off 3.3 percent at 10,341,236.