Rail carload and intermodal volumes see annual declines for week ending March 19

Rail carload and intermodal volumes both saw annual declines for the week ending March 19, according to data issued by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Carloads were down 17.2 percent compared to the same week last year at 235,390 carloads, which was below the week ending March 12 at 243,275 and the week ending March 5 at 247,016. 

Three of the ten commodities tracked by the AAR were up annually, with miscellaneous carloads up 20.4 percent at 9,837, and chemicals up 4.9 percent to 31,343 carloads. Coal continued its declines, falling 38.7 percent to 64,754 carloads.

Intermodal containers and trailers were down 10.7 percent annually at 248,073, which was higher than the 245,902 recorded the week of March 12 and below the week ending March 5 at 273,019.

For the first 11 weeks of 2016, total carload and intermodal volumes are down 5.2 percent at 5,520,673.