The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported this week that United States rail carload and intermodal volumes were each up for the week ending May 6.
Rail carloads headed up 6 percent annually to 251,182, which was below the weeks ending April 29 and April 22 at 258,476 and 257,283, respectively.
And six of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR saw annual gains, with grain, up 22.2 percent to 21,848 carloads; coal, up 17.7 percent to 73,386 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, up 15.6 percent to 23,743 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2016 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 18.5 percent to 9,247 carloads; motor vehicles and parts, down 6.4 percent to 17,160 carloads; and farm products excl. grain, and food, down 1.3 percent to 15,723 carloads.
Intermodal container and trailers increased 1.6 percent annually to 264,123, which trailed the week ending April 29 at 269,354 and topped the week ending April 22 at 257,848.
Through the first 18 weeks of 2017, the AAR said that U.S. rail carloads are up 6.4 percent annually at 4,598,584, and intermodal containers and trailers are up 1.6 percent at 4,703,804.