U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes are down, for week ending August 26, reports AAR

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes, for the week ending August 26, each saw annual declines, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Rail carloads, at 226,679, were off 3.9% annually, trailing the week ending August 19, at 228,972, and topping the week ending August 12, at 224,412.

AAR said that four of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including: motor vehicles and parts, up 1,500 carloads, to16,113; petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,373 carloads, to 9,921; and nonmetallic minerals, up 507 carloads, to 33,254. Commodity groups posting annual declines included: coal, down 5,449 carloads, to 68,828; grain, down 4,767 carloads, to 13,312; and miscellaneous carloads, down 887 carloads, to 8,789.

Intermodal containers and trailers, at 245,846 units, saw a 7.7% annual decline, trailing the weeks ending August 19 and August 12, at 249,881, and 248,086, respectively.

Through the first 34 weeks of 2023, AAR reported that U.S. rail carloads, at7,621,657, eked out a 0.1% annual gain, with intermodal units off 9.2%, to 8,074,700 units.