U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes are mixed for week ending February 10

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes were mixed for the week ending February 10, according to data issued by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Carloads slipped 0.5% annually to 251,058, which was less than the 265,157 recorded for the week ending February 3 and the 260,993 for the week ending January 27.

AAR said that seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2017,  including nonmetallic minerals, up 2,046 carloads, to 31,551; chemicals, up 1,224 carloads, to 31,782; and metallic ores and metals, up 1,010 carloads, to 20,396. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 were coal, down 3,729 carloads, to 85,591; motor vehicles and parts, down 1,980 carloads, to 16,693; and grain, down 1,442 carloads, to 19,035.

Intermodal containers and trailers, at 268,487, saw a 3.7% annual gain. This was below the 282,935 for the week ending February 3 and the 282,522 for the week ending January 27.

For the first six weeks of 2018, AAR said U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,468,463 carloads, down 2.9 percent from the same point last year; and 1,578,628 intermodal units, up 3.5 percent from last year.