AAR reports carload and intermodal gains for week ending January 18

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported this week that carload and intermodal volumes were both up for the week ending January 18.

Carloads—at 289,825—were up 4.5 percent annually and ahead of the week ending January 11 at 256,849 and the week ending January 4 at 246,846.

Intermodal—at 267,428 trailers and containers—was up 7.2 percent compared to the same week last year and was ahead of the weeks ending January 11 and January 4 at 235,987 and 186,878, respectively.

Of the ten main commodity groups tracked by the AAR, eight saw annual increases for the week ending January 18.

Nonmetallic minerals and products were up 20.9 percent or 232,557 carloads. Metallic ores and minerals were down 1.5 percent or 25,509 carloads.

For the first three weeks of 2014, carloads are down 0.7 percent at 793,520, and intermodal is up 1.4 percent at 690,293 trailers and containers.