United States rail carload and intermodal volumes, for the week ending October 5, saw annual declines, according to data issued earlier this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
Rail carloads, at 225,280, fell 3.5% annually, trailing the weeks ending September 28 and September 21, at 227,046, and 232,818, respectively.
AAR reported that four of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including: farm products excl. grain, and food, up 1,553 carloads, to 18,019; chemicals, up 1,140 carloads, to 31,059; and metallic ores and metals, up 828 carloads, to 20,908. Commodity groups posting annual declines included: coal, down 5,458 carloads, to 61,304; nonmetallic minerals, down 3,937 carloads, to 29,645; and grain, down 1,300 carloads, to 21,933.
Intermodal containers and trailers, at 260,907, fell 1.7% annually, trailing the weeks ending September 28 and September 21, at 280,491, and 289,294, respectively.
Through the first 40 weeks of 2024, AAR reported than U.S. rail carloads, at 8,697,320, are down 3.3% annually. And intermodal units, at 10,472,512, are up 9.1% for the same period.
