AAR reports strong U.S. carload and intermodal gains for week ending March 17

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes each saw strong annual gains for the week ending March 17, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Rail carloads headed up 7.5% annually at 263,352, which was ahead of the week ending March 10 at 256,075 and below the week ending March 3 at 264,566.

And all ten carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR were up, including: coal, up 8,750 carloads, to 85,939; nonmetallic minerals, up 3,445 carloads, to 35,240; and metallic ores and metals, up 2,310 carloads, to 22,421.

Intermodal trailers and containers increased 12.7% annually to 273,986 units, which trailed the week ending March 10 at 278,207 and the week ending March 3 at 279,535.

Through the first 11 weeks of 2018, U.S rail carloads are off 0.8% annually at 2,764,973, and intermodal containers and trailers are up 6.2% at 2,966,335 units.