U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes are down for week ending May 16, reports AAR

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes again saw annual declines, for the week ending May 16, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Rail carloads—at 184,415—plunged 30.2% annually, which marked the lowest weekly annual percentage decline, for total carloads, going back to 1988, when the AAR first started tracking railroad volumes. This tally trailed the week ending May 9, at 184,144, and the week ending May 2, at 189,100.

AAR reported that none of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2019. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2019 included: coal down 35,879 carloads, to 45,756; motor vehicles and parts, down 14,242 carloads, to 2,865; and metallic ores and metals, down 9,245 carloads, to 14,101.

Intermodal containers and trailers—at 231,700 units—dropped 14% compared to the same week a year ago, topping the week ending May 9, at 227,405 units, and the week ending May 2, at 227,764 units.

“The 30.2% decline in total U.S. carloads last week was the biggest year-over-year weekly decline for total carloads since 1988, when our data begin. Coal didn’t help: last week was the fifth straight week in which coal carloads were down at least 40% from last year,” said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray, in a statement. “For many other key rail commodities, including chemicals, petroleum products, and crushed stone and sand, carloads last week were roughly the same as in the previous few weeks, while intermodal originations last week were the most in eight weeks. As the Covid-19 situation continues to evolve across the globe, North America’s freight railroads will remain focused on safeguarding the health and safety of their workforce while working tirelessly to maintain the flow of goods necessary to preserve public health, sustain families, and help the economy recover as quickly as the situation allows.”

Through the first 20 weeks of 2020, U.S. rail carloads—at 4,343,145—are down 13.6% annually, and intermodal units—at 4,732,813—are down 11.3%.