Rail carload and intermodal volumes issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) kicked off the first full week of 2016 where 2015 left off: in a mixed state of affairs.
Carloads for the week ending January 9 were down 13.5 percent annually at 239,221 and were ahead of the weeks ending January 2 and December 26 at 207,743 and 206,903, respectively.
Five of the ten carload commodities tracked by the AAR saw annual gains, with miscellaneous carloads up 23 percent to 8,552 carloads and motor vehicles and parts up 10.6 percent to 13,276 carloads.
Intermodal containers and trailers were up 7.5 percent annually at 258,939 and outpaced the weeks ending January 2 and December 26 at 187,920 and 184,204, respectively.
The AAR said that for the first week of 2016 total cumulative rail carload and intermodal volume was down 3.7 percent at 498,160 carloads and intermodal units.