AAR reports annual carload and intermodal declines for week ending March 16

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes saw annual declines, for the week ending March 16, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Rail carloads, at 240,317, dropped 8.8% annually and topped the week ending March 9 at 238,104 and trailed the week ending March 2 at 250, 522.

AAR said that two of the ten carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual declines, including petroleum and petroleum products, up 2,122 carloads, to 12,124; and motor vehicles and parts, up 806 carloads, to 17,926. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2018 included coal, down 13,701 carloads, to 72,190; grain, down 5,148 carloads, to 18,619; and nonmetallic minerals, down 2,532 carloads, to 32,730.

Intermodal containers and trailers, at 260,684, fell 4.8% annually, trailing the week ending March 9 at 270,754 and the week ending March 2 at 277,631.

Through the first 11 weeks of 2018 U.S. rail carloads, at 2,716,886 are down 1.7% annually, and intermodal units, at 2,942,205, are off 0.8%.