AAR reports mixed carload and intermodal volumes for week ending October 22

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes were mixed for the week ending October 22, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Carloads dropped 5.8 percent to 268,551, which was above the week ending October 15 at 262,702 and the week ending October 8 at 264,165.

The AAR said that three of the ten carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015, including miscellaneous carloads, up 16.5 percent to 10,852 carloads; grain, up 4.6 percent to 26,442 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, up 0.1 percent to 37,324 carloads. 

Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 24.4 percent to 10,037 carloads; metallic ores and metals, down 12.3 percent to 19,115 carloads; and coal, down 10.5 percent to 90,272 carloads.

Weekly intermodal containers and trailers were up 2.6 percent annually at 275,541, and were above the week ending October 15 at 269,234 and the week ending October 8 at 257,624.

Through the first 42 weeks of 2016, the AAR said that U.S. rail carloads were down 10.2 percent at 10,532,634, and intermodal containers and trailers were off 3.1 percent annually at 10,886,011.