AAR reports mixed U.S. carload and intermodal volumes for week ending November 18

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) recently reported that United States rail carload and intermodal volumes were again mixed for the week ending November 18.

Rail carloads were off 1.6% annually at 266,927, which topped the week ending November 11 at 263,265, and the week ending November 4 at 266,652.

AAR said that four of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks posted annual gains, including: metallic ores and metals, up 4,537 carloads, to 23,696; nonmetallic minerals, up 3,675 carloads, to 38,355; and chemicals, up 1,334 carloads, to 31,939. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included coal, down 8,528 carloads, to 86,185; grain, down 3,841 carloads, to 21,926; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 887 carloads, to 10,184.

Intermodal containers and trailers headed up 3.9% to 287,139, which was ahead of the 284,215 recorded for the week ending November 11 and the 272,097 recorded for the week ending November 4.

On a year to date basis through the first 46 weeks of 2017, U.S. carloads are up 3% annually at 11,969,281, and intermodal units are up 3.7% annually at 12,420,150.