United States rail carloads saw annual volume gains, albeit gains that continue to trend down, for the week ending October 13.
Rail carloads, at 263,787, were up 0.4% compared to the same week a year ago and were below the week ending October 6 at 269,394 and the week ending September 29 at 272,306.
AAR said that six of the ten carload commodity groups it tracks posted annual gains, including: petroleum and petroleum products, up 2,824 carloads, to 11,783; metallic ores and metals, up 815 carloads, to 23,128; and miscellaneous carloads, up 387 carloads, to 10,332. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 were nonmetallic minerals, down 2,849 carloads, to 35,721; chemicals, down 514 carloads, to 30,416; and forest products, down 34 carloads, to 9,927.
Intermodal containers and trailers, at 285,970, headed up 3% annually. This topped the week ending October 6 at 284,604 and the week ending September 29 at 299,616.
Through the first 41 weeks of 2018, U.S. rail carloads are up 1.9% at 10,781,980, and intermodal units are up 5.8% at 11,402,578.