Both United States rail carload and intermodal volumes saw annual gains for the week ending May 26, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
Carloads were up 3% at 273,226, which was ahead of the weeks ending May 19 and May 12 at 261,273 and 267,196, respectively.
AAR said that eight of the ten carload commodity groups it tracks were up annually, including: chemicals, up 2,474 carloads, to 33,674; coal, up 2,088 carloads, to 84,674; and metallic ores and metals, up 1,519 carloads, to 25,939. Commodity groups with annual declines were motor vehicles and parts, down 846 carloads, to 16,874; and miscellaneous carloads, down 845 carloads, to 9,417.
Intermodal containers and trailers were up 5.8% to 292,276, which topped the week ending May 19 at 285,142 and the week ending May 12 at 282,833.
Through the first 21 weeks of 2018, U.S. rail carloads are up 1.2% annually at 5,414,483, and intermodal containers and trailers are up 5.9% at 5,736,006.