U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes see steep declines in April, reports AAR
The ongoing impact of the COVID-19, or coronavirus, pandemic, had a major impact on United States rail carload and intermodal volumes in April, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR), with monthly carloads at its lowest level since 1989 and intermodal units at its lowest level since 2009.
U.S. rail carloads in April—at 980,535—were off 25.2%, or 329,693 carloads, annually, AAR reported. And it added that only two of the twenty carload commodities it tracks saw annual gains, including all other carloads, up 2,699 carloads or 9%; and farm products excl. grain, up 1,093 carloads or 29%. Notable carload commodities seeing annual declines highlighted by the AAR included coal, down 154,455 carloads or 38 percent; motor vehicles & parts, down 72,437 carloads or 86.3%; and chemicals, down 19,786 carloads or 11.9%. AAR also noted that when excluding coal, carloads were down 175,238 carloads, or 19.4%, in April 2020 from April 2019 and when excluding coal and grain, carloads were down 167,802 carloads, or 21.3%.
Intermodal containers and trailers—at 1,095,423—slipped 17.2%, or 227,165 units, annually. Total U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes in April—at 2,075,958—saw a 21.2%, or 556,858 carload and intermodal units decline.
“To no one’s surprise, the pandemic made April a challenging month for rail traffic. The 25.2 percent year-over-year decline in total rail carloads was the worst decline for total carloads for any month since our records begin in 1989, and the 17.2 percent decline in intermodal loadings in April was the worst since the summer of 2009,” said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray in a statement. “Coal and autos were by far the worst-hit commodities in April, but declines spanned the industrial spectrum, hitting finished steel and steel scrap, chemicals, petroleum products, sand and stone, and much else. We don’t know exactly when it will happen, but our economy—and rail traffic—will rebound. No matter what, the men and women on our nation’s railroads will do their part to keep supply chains moving safely and efficiently as they link our businesses and communities to each other and to the world.”
Through the first four months of 2020, U.S. rail carloads—at 3,973,586—are down 11.8%, or 532,448 carloads, annually, and intermodal units—at 4,273,078 units—are off 10.9%, or 525,462 units, for the same period.
