The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported this week that United States rail carload and intermodal volumes saw annual declines for the week ending April 20.
Rail carloads, at 262,011, were down 0.9%, topping the weeks ending April 6 and April 13 at 251,417 and 260,800, respectively.
AAR reported that three of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including: coal, up 3,738 carloads, to 84,216; petroleum and petroleum products, up 3,536 carloads, to 12,889; and miscellaneous carloads, up 313 carloads, to 9,654. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2018 included nonmetallic minerals, down 3,814 carloads, to 35,562; metallic ores and metals, down 2,174 carloads, to 21,849; and motor vehicles and parts, down 1,707 carloads, to 16,403.
Intermodal containers and trailers, at 264,130, fell 3.9% annually, topping the week ending April 6 at 258,775 and trailing the week ending April 13 at 267,367.
Through the first 16 weeks of 2019, U.S. rail carloads, at 3,969,837, are down 2.7%, and intermodal units, at 4,266,729, are off 1%.