AAR reports more steep U.S. carload and intermodal declines for week ending April 18

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes again saw steep annual declines, for the week ending April 18, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Total U.S. rail carload and intermodal volume—at 403,283—saw a 23.3% annual decline.

Rail carloads—at 189,598—dropped 27.5% annually, trailing the week ending April 11, at 198,726 (which was down 23.8% annually), and the weeks ending April 4 and March 28, which came in at 210,911 and 219,844, respectively.

AAR officials recently noted that going back to 1988, when it started tracking this data there have only been a few weeks when total U.S. rail carloads have been lower than they have been the last three weeks, which occurred during a few weeks, over Christmas and New Year’s, when rail operations are seasonally low.

AAR added that none of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2019.  Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2019 included coal, down 35,555 carloads, to 48,423; motor vehicles and parts, down 14,459 carloads, to 1,943; and nonmetallic minerals, down 5,188 carloads, to 30,377.

Intermodal containers and trailers—at 213,685—were down 19.1%, which was just below the 213,777 for the week ending April 11 and below the weeks ending April 4 and March 28, at 218,184 and 229,923 respectively.

“Rail volumes suffered again last week as extremely difficult times for rail customers and the economy continued,” said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray in a statement. “Like everyone else, railroads are looking forward to a return to normalcy and an end to the significant challenges associated with the pandemic. Until that happens, railroads will work hard to keep their employees and the communities they serve safe, will continue to deliver the goods needed to sustain and heal the nation and, when appropriate, support its economic restoration.”

Through the first 16 weeks of 2020, AAR reported that U.S. rail carloads—at 3,592,286—were down 9.5% annually, and intermodal units—at 3,823,931—were down 10.4%.