U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes are mixed, reports AAR

The Association of American Railroads reported mixed results for United States rail carload and intermodal volumes for the week ending September 23.

Carloads were down 2% annually to 263,200 and were ahead of the week ending September 16 at 260,771 and the week ending September 9 at 247,930.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR were up annually, including nonmetallic minerals, up 3,166 carloads, to 40,718; metallic ores and metals, up 2,528 carloads, to 25,392; and chemicals, up 487 carloads, to 30,669. Commodity groups that same annual declines included grain, down 5,517 carloads, to 19,612; coal, down 3,120 carloads, to 84,389; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 1,189 carloads, to 9,188.

Intermodal containers and trailers headed up 5.1% to 285,004, which set a new weekly record, according to the AAR, with this week topping the week ending September 16 at 270,003 and the week ending September 9 at 238,544.

Through the first 38 weeks of 2017, U.S. rail carloads are up 4% at 9,833,998, and intermodal units are up 3.4% at 10,145,659.