AAR reports U.S. rail carload and intermodal gains, for week ending March 27

United States rail carload and intermodal volume, for the week ending March 27, saw annual gains, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

AAR officials noted that annual comparisons for this week are inflated, due to “the widespread economy-wide shutdowns—and subsequent large reduction in rail volumes—a year ago at this time.

Rail carloads—at 232,561—saw a 6% annual gain, topping the weeks ending March 20 and March 13, at 230,605 and 230,684, respectively.

AAR reported that seven of the ten carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including: motor vehicles and parts, up 8,081 carloads, to 13,515; grain, up 2,320 carloads, to 24,532; and metallic ores and metals, up 1,145 carloads, to 22,020. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2020 were chemicals, down 656 carloads, to 32,053; petroleum and petroleum products, down 534 carloads, to 10,694; and miscellaneous carloads, down 201 carloads, to 9,341.

Intermodal trailers and containers—at 289,170—rose 25.8% annually, topping the week ending March 20, at 282,270, and trailing the week ending March 13, at 290.052.

Through the first 12 weeks of 2021, AAR said that U.S. rail carloads—at 2,681,283—are off 3.4% annually, and intermodal units—at 3,333,798—are up 11.9%.