AAR reports annual gains for U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes for week ending Jan. 27

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes were up for the week ending January 27, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Carloads increased 1.1% annually to 260,993, which topped the week ending January 20 at 241,258 and the week ending June 13 at 241,351.

AAR said that six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2017. They included nonmetallic minerals, up 2,021 carloads, to 32,672; petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,356 carloads, to 11,506; and miscellaneous carloads, up 639 carloads, to 10,964. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 included motor vehicles and parts, down 1,084 carloads, to 17,729; coal, down 588 carloads, to 86,586; and farm products excl. grain, and food, down 265 carloads, to 15,960.

Intermodal containers and trailers saw a 6.9% annual gain to 282,522, which was ahead of the week ending January 20 at 266,981 and the week ending January 13 at 270,586.

For the first four weeks of 2018, AAR said U.S. carloads were down 3.9% annually at 952,248, while intermodal at 1,027,305 intermodal units was up 2.7%.