U.S. rail and intermodal volumes fall, for the week ending August 6, reports AAR

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes, for the week ending August 6, saw annual declines, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Rail carloads—at 230,573—saw a 1.6% annual increase, trailing the weeks ending July 23 and July 30, at 232,565 and 237,079, respectively.

AAR said that four of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including: grain, up 1,809 carloads, to 19,916; nonmetallic minerals, up 633 carloads, to 34,409; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 378 carloads, to 15,618. Commodity groups posting annual declines included: miscellaneous carloads, down 2,260 carloads, to 7,901; chemicals, down 1,385 carloads, to 32,287; and coal, down 1,076 carloads, to 65,812.

Intermodal containers and trailers—at 265,953 units—were off 3.4% annually, trailing the weeks ending July 23 and July 30, at 266,366 and 268,300.

Through the first 31 weeks of 2022, AAR reported that U.S. rail carloads—at 7,131,393—are down 0.1% annually. And intermodal units—at 8,178,585—are down 5.7% annually.

North American rail volume for the week ending August 6, 2022, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 327,633 carloads, down 0.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 354,967 intermodal units, down 1.2 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 682,600 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.7 percent. North American rail volume for the first 31 weeks of 2022 was 20,917,514 carloads and intermodal units, down 3 percent compared with 2021.