AAR reports U.S. carload and intermodal declines for week ending December 7
United States rail carload and intermodal volumes saw annual declines, for the week ending December 7, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
Rail carloads, at 248,174, were down 7.2% annually, topping the week ending November 30, at 215,126, which was likely impacted by the timing of the Thanksgiving holiday, and trailing the week ending November 23, at 251,901.
AAR reported that four of the ten carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including miscellaneous carloads, up 383 carloads, to 11,255; petroleum and petroleum products, up 300 carloads, to 13,595; and nonmetallic minerals, up 181 carloads, to 32,014. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2018 included coal, down 16,385 carloads, to 72,402; metallic ores and metals, down 2,296 carloads, to 20,220; and motor vehicles and parts, down 674 carloads, to 17,175.
Intermodal trailers and containers, at 268,956, slipped 11.3% annually, topping the week ending November 30, at 221,774, and trailing the week ending November 23, at 270,026.
Through the first 49 weeks of 2019, AAR reported that U.S. carloads, at 12,292,476, are off 4.6% annually, and intermodal units, at 13,010,592, fell 4.9%.
