United States rail carload and intermodal volumes were down for the week ending October 19, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
Rail carloads, at 245,002, fell 7.8% annually, topping the week ending October 12 at 243,807 and trailing the week ending October 5 at 247,028.
AAR reported that two of the ten carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including: were chemicals, up 954 carloads, to 31,720; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 757 carloads, to 12,718. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2018 included coal, down 10,991 carloads, to 75,083; metallic ores and metals, down 3,640 carloads, to 19,706; and motor vehicles and parts, down 2,456 carloads, to 14,749.
Intermodal containers and trailers, at 262,379, fell 9.3% annually, trailing the weeks ending October 12 and October 5 at 267,013 and 268,033, respectively.
Through the first 42 weeks of 2019, U.S. rail carloads, at 10,600,083, are down 4.1% annually, and intermodal units, at 11,187,351, are down 4.3%.