AAR reports carload and intermodal volumes are down for week ending February 25

Rail volumes were down for the week ending February 25, according to data from the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Carload volume—at 281,644—was down 5 percent annually and slightly behind the week ending February 18 at 281,989 and ahead of the week ending February 11 at 279,501. It was also behind the week ending February 4 at 284,546 and the week ending January 28 at 283,654.

Eastern carloads were down 8 percent, and out west carloads were down 2.9 percent.

Intermodal volumes—at 214,402 trailers and containers—were down 2.8 percent annually. This was down compared to the week ending February 18 at 221,003 and the week ending February 11 at 227,207 and the week ending February 4 at 232,950 and the week ending January 28 at 235,028.

Of the 20 commodity groups tracked by the AAR, 9 were up annually. Motor vehicles and equipment were up 30.9 percent, and petroleum products were up 25.6 percent. Coal and grain were down 13.1 percent and 11.9 percent, respectively.

Carloads for the first eight weeks of 2012—at 2,272,480—were down 0.3 percent over the first seven weeks of 2011, and intermodal was up 1.6 percent at 1,772,839 trailers and containers.

Estimated ton-miles for the week at 32.2 billion were down 0.3 percent, and for the year-to-date it was up 0.6 percent at 258.6 billion.