United States rail carload and intermodal volumes, for the week ending August 12, saw annual declines, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
Rail carloads, 224,412, fell 3% annually, topping the week ending August 5, at 222,199, and trailing the week ending July 29, at 230,511.
AAR said that three of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including: motor vehicles and parts, up 1,534 carloads, to 14,945; petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,419 carloads, to 9,952; and miscellaneous carloads, up 695 carloads, to 9,281. Commodity groups posting annual declines included: grain, down 5,695 carloads, to 14,533; chemicals, down 1,869 carloads, to 29,957; and forest products, down 1,321 carloads, to 7,415.
Intermodal containers and trailers, at 248,086 units, were off 5.3% annually, trailing the weeks ending August 5 and July 29, at 249,739 and 252,970, respectively.
Through the first 32 weeks of 2023, AAR reported that U.S. rail carloads, at 7,166,006, are up 0.2% annually, and intermodal units, at 7,578,973, are off 9.4%.