Carloads and intermodal volumes are mixed for week ending July 4, reports AAR

Rail carload and intermodal volumes remained mixed for the week ending July 4, according to data issued by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

U.S. carloads were down 7.1 percent annually at 251,269, which was below the 275,564 recorded the week of June 27 and the 273,932 during the week of June 20.

Of the ten commodity categories tracked by the AAR, six saw annual gains compared to the same week last year, with miscellaneous products up 6.2 percent and nonmetallic minerals up 5.4 percent. Coal dropped 18.5 percent, and metals fell 10.6 percent.

Intermodal remained on its solid trajectory, up 12.3 percent annually at 255,015 containers and trailers, below the 275,564 recorded the week of June 27 and the 276,907 for the week ending June 20.

Through the first 26 weeks of 2014, U.S. carloads are down 3.9 percent at 7,181,837, and intermodal units are up 2.7 percent at 6,680,044.