U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes are mixed, for week of July 15, reports AAR

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes, for the week of July 15, were mixed, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Rail carloads—at 225,609—eked out a 0.9% annual increase, topping the weeks ending July 8 and July 1, at 197,086 and 223,254, respectively.

AAR reported that seven of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including: metallic ores and metals, up 1,243 carloads, to 18,031; nonmetallic minerals, up 759 carloads, to 30,033; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 445 carloads, to 8,843. Commodity groups posting annual declines included: grain, down 3,685 carloads, to 12,629; coal, down 1,745 carloads, to 58,369; and forest products, down 1,373 carloads, to 7,140.

Intermodal containers and trailers—at 252,544—were down 5.3% annually, topping the week ending July 8, at 210,757, and trailing the week ending July 1, at 261,189.

Through the first 28 weeks of 2023, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 6,266,430 carloads, up 0.5 percent from the same point last year; and 6,576,896 intermodal units, down 10.0 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 28 weeks of 2023 was 12,843,326 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 5.2 percent compared to last year.