AAR reports carloads are up slightly and intermodal sets another weekly record

Both United States rail carload and intermodal volumes saw annual gains for the week ending October 21, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Carloads eked out a 0.2% annual increase to 268,943, which topped the week ending October 14 at 264,161 and trailed the week ending October 7 at 269,336.

AAR said that five of the ten carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR saw annual gains, including: nonmetallic minerals, up 3,839 carloads, to 41,227; metallic ores and metals, up 2,940 carloads, to 22,059; and chemicals, up 2,097 carloads, to 30,818. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included coal, down 3,814 carloads, to 86,311; grain, down 2,422 carloads, to 24,018; and motor vehicles and parts, down 1,582 carloads, to 16,920.

Intermodal containers and trailers rose 5.6% to 291,046, which was ahead of the 284,103 recorded the week of October 14 and the week ending October 7 at 285,490.

The tally for the week ending October 21 marks a new all-time weekly intermodal record, the AAR said. The previous record was the week ending September 30 at 286,893.

Through the first 42 weeks of 2017, U.S. carloads are up 3.6% annually at 10,909,100, and intermodal units are up 3.7% for the same period at 11,293,191.