U.S. rail volumes are mixed for week ending July 22

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported this week that United States rail carloads and intermodal volumes were mixed annually for the week ending July 22.

Carloads declined 2% to 256,863, which trailed the week ending July 15 at 262,869 and topped the week ending July 8 (including the July 4 holiday) at 229,501.

The AAR said that three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016, including coal, up 5.3% to 88,304 carloads; nonmetallic minerals, up 2.9% to 38,630 carloads; and forest products, up 1.9% to 10,388 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included grain, down 15.8% to 20,316 carloads; miscellaneous carloads, down 15.2% to 9,258 carloads; and motor vehicles and parts, down 13.2% to 12,696 carloads.

Intermodal containers and trailers saw a 4.1% increase to 277,289, which eked out the week ending July 15 at 277,136 and was also ahead of the week ending July 8 at 223,519.

Through the first 29 weeks of the year, U.S. rail carloads are up 5.7% at 7,448,686, and intermodal units are up 2.9 percent at 7,670,677.