AAR reports mixed U.S. carload and intermodal volumes for week ending November 4

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today that United States rail carload and intermodal volumes were mixed for the week ending November 4.

Rail carloads dropped 1.7% annually to 266,652, which topped the week ending October 28 at 263,064 and trailed the week ending October 21 at 268,943.

AAR said that five of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks were up annually, including: metallic ores and metals, up 4,176 carloads, to 22,716; nonmetallic minerals, up 2,411 carloads, to 38,980; and chemicals, up 1,797 carloads, to 31,552. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included coal, down 6,003 carloads, to 86,843; grain, down 5,376 carloads, to 23,281; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 1,216 carloads, to 9,665.

Intermodal containers and trailers eked out a 0.01% annual increase to 272,087. This was below the week ending October 28 at 283,518 and the week ending October 21 at 291,046.

On a year-to-date basis through the first 44 weeks of 2017, the AAR reported that rail carloads are up 3.3% annually at 11,439,089, and intermodal units are up 3.6% at 11,848,796.