U.S. rail volumes are mixed for week ending July 21, reports AAR

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes each saw annual gains for the week ending July 21, according to data issued by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Carloads, at 265,338, were up 3.8% annually, which trailed the 271,201 for the week ending July 14 and the 240,154 carloads for the week ending July 7, which was likely impacted by the July 4 holiday.

AAR said that eight of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2017, including grain, up 3,359 carloads, to 23,767; petroleum and petroleum products, up 2,009 carloads, to 11,102; and chemicals, up 1,785 carloads, to 32,043. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 were coal, down 2,469 carloads, to 85,865; and forest products, down 82 carloads, to 10,313.

Intermodal containers and trailers, at 287,686, rose 5.9% annually and were slightly below the 287,857 units recorded for the week ending July 14 and the week ending July 7, which came in at 244,679.

Through the first 29 weeks of 2018, AAR said that U.S. rail carloads, at 7,524,473, are up 1.6% annually, and intermodal units are up 6.2% at 7,973,779.