AAR reports annual U.S. carload and intermodal gains for week ending June 17

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) (AAR) reported this week that that United States rail carload and intermodal volumes each saw annual gains for the week ending June 17.

Rail carloads increased 6.2% at 266,402, which topped the week ending June 10 at 265,717, and the week ending June 3 at 252,853.

AAR said that six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016, including nonmetallic minerals, up 15.5 percent to 39,654 carloads; coal, up 15.1 percent to 87,066 carloads; and chemicals, up 5.7 percent to 31,288 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 12.4 percent to 9,326 carloads; motor vehicles and parts, down 8.1 percent to 17,189 carloads; and grain, down 4.6 percent to 21,677 carloads.

Intermodal container and trailer volume increased 4.3% to 276,777, which trailed the week ending June 10 at 279,600 and topped the week ending June 3 at 247,339.

On a year-to-date basis through the first 24 weeks of 2017, U.S. carloads were up 6.8% at 6,165,596, and intermodal containers and trailers saw a 2.5% annual gain at 6,335,475.