AAR reports mixed U.S. carload and intermodal volumes for week ending February 24

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported this week that United States rail carload and intermodal volumes were mixed for the week ending February 24.

Carloads decreased 1.3% to 251,970, which trailed the week ending February 17 at 260,454 and edged out the week ending February 10 at 251,058.

AAR said that four of the ten carload commodity groups it tracks were up annually, including: coal, up 781 carloads, to 85,600; petroleum and petroleum products, up 602 carloads, to 10,047; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 103 carloads, to 16,494. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 included grain, down 1,157 carloads, to 20,143; motor vehicles and parts, down 1,093 carloads, to 17,527; and nonmetallic minerals, down 1,044 carloads, to 31,511.

Intermodal containers and trailers posted a 6.7% annual gain at 276,470, which was below the week ending February 17 at 279.509 and ahead of the week ending February 10 at 268,487.

Through the first eight weeks of the year, U.S. rail carloads are down 2.8% annually at 1,980,887, and intermodal loadings are up 4.3% at 2,134,607.