U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes are up, for week of September 23, reports AAR

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes, for the week ending September 23 saw gains, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Rail carloads, at 234,904, increased 4.7% annually, topping the weeks ending September 16 and September 9, at 232,723, and 218,108, respectively.

AAR said that seven of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including: metallic ores and metals, up 3,256 carloads, to 22,732; motor vehicles and parts, up 2,929 carloads, to 16,085; and chemicals, up 2,070 carloads, to 31,067. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2022 were coal, down 1,860 carloads, to 68,846; grain, down 226 carloads, to 18,072; and forest products, down 73 carloads, to 8,490.

Intermodal containers and trailers, at 258,419, were up 1.2% annually, coming in ahead of the weeks ending September 16 and September 9, at 257,067, and 229,244, respectively.

For the first 38 weeks of 2023, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,538,842 carloads, up 0.2% from the same point last year; and 9,065,168 intermodal units, down 8.5% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 38 weeks of 2023 was 17,604,010 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.5% annually.