U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes are mixed, for the week ending January 15, reports AAR

United States rail carload and intermodal traffic, for the week ending January 15, was mixed, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Rail carloads—at 233,647—saw a 0.5% annual increase, topping the weeks ending January 1, which was likely negatively impacted, due to the timing of the holidays, and January 8, at 210,020 and 205,836, respectively.

AAR said that three of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including: coal, up 10,296 carloads, to 67,867; nonmetallic minerals, up 1,779 carloads, to 27,367; and chemicals, up 67 carloads, to 34,002. Commodity groups that posted annual decreases included: grain, down 3,196 carloads, to 24,344; motor vehicles and parts, down 2,948 carloads, to 12,382; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 2,653 carloads, to 9,782.

Intermodal containers and trailers—at 259,970—were off 12.2% compared to the same week a year ago, topping the weeks ending January 1 and January 8, at 189,535 and 230,741, respectively.

Through the first two weeks of 2021, U.S. rail carloads are off 5.1% annually, to 443,667, and intermodal units, at 490,711, are off 16.2%, for the same period.