The Association of American Railroads reported mixed results for United States rail carload and intermodal volumes for the week ending September 23.
Carloads were down 2% annually to 263,200 and were ahead of the week ending September 16 at 260,771 and the week ending September 9 at 247,930.
Five of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR were up annually, including nonmetallic minerals, up 3,166 carloads, to 40,718; metallic ores and metals, up 2,528 carloads, to 25,392; and chemicals, up 487 carloads, to 30,669. Commodity groups that same annual declines included grain, down 5,517 carloads, to 19,612; coal, down 3,120 carloads, to 84,389; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 1,189 carloads, to 9,188.
Intermodal containers and trailers headed up 5.1% to 285,004, which set a new weekly record, according to the AAR, with this week topping the week ending September 16 at 270,003 and the week ending September 9 at 238,544.
Through the first 38 weeks of 2017, U.S. rail carloads are up 4% at 9,833,998, and intermodal units are up 3.4% at 10,145,659.