U.S. rail carload and intermodal units are are down for week ending February 8, reports AAR

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes saw annual gains for the week ending February 8, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Rail carloads—at 232,116—fell 4.2% annually, trailing the weeks ending February 1 and January 25, at 241,339 and 232,217, respectively.

AAR said that five of the ten carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including: miscellaneous carloads, up 2,404 carloads, to 10,900; farm products excl. grain, and food, up 1,205 carloads, to 16,256; and chemicals, up 887 carloads, to 32,670. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2019 included coal, down 10,686 carloads, to 64,996; nonmetallic minerals, down 2,794 carloads, to 28,354; and motor vehicles and parts, down 694 carloads, to 16,376.

Intermodal containers and trailers—at 252,213 units—were off 8.8% annually, trailing the weeks ending February 1 and January 25, at 268,822 and 252,965, respectively.

Through the first six weeks of 2020, U.S. rail carloads—at 1,397,849—are down 5.6% annually, and intermodal units—at 1,498,293—are down 6%.