AAR reports mixed U.S. carload and intermodal volumes for week ending November 26

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes were mixed for the week ending November 26, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Carloads were off 0.4 percent annually at 229,866, which was well below the previous two weeks, which were at 271,420 and 272,131, respectively, and likely impacted by the Thanksgiving holiday.

The AAR said that five of the ten carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015, including: grain, up 20.2 percent to 22,438 carloads; metallic ores and metals, up 8.5 percent to 18,206 carloads; and miscellaneous carloads, up 7.8 percent to 7,461 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 23.2 percent to 9,150 carloads; motor vehicles and parts, down 15.3 percent to 12,773 carloads; and forest products, down 8.4 percent to 8,511 carloads.

Weekly intermodal container and trailer volumes rose 1.6 percent to 222,893, while below the previous two weeks at 276,384 and 268,996, respectively.

On a year-to-date basis through the first 47 weeks of 2016, carloads were down 9.2 percent at 11,848,889, and intermodal containers and trailers were off 2.6 percent at 12,199,820.